Dor by Mari Calai - Virtual Book Launch
2021-04-14 17:00 - 18:00 UTC | Online
"Dor" it is being said, is one of those untranslatable Romanian concepts. Roughly meaning “longing,” Dor is the title of Mari Calai’s latest book. As Lynn Radeka noted, “the book is a visual journey through images that evoke a sense of longing,” in other words, "Dor" is Mari’s visual attempt to illustrate this very Romanian concept. We invite you on Wednesday, April 14 at 8 pm EST / 6 pm MST / 5 pm PST to the virtual launch of "Dor" and to a discussion with the author about what led her to write and illustrate this book with her amazing photography. The event is being organized by Romanians of DC with the support of Bucharest Inside the Beltway from Denver and ARCS – American Romanian Cultural Society from Seattle. The event will take place via Zoom and broadcast live on Facebook. To join the zoom event please register here. Mari CalaiMari Calai has been an artist for the past 10 years. Born and raised in Romania, and for the later part of her life living abroad from Italy, to the United States and South Korea, she has been traveling the world exploring different cultures, and that is what inspires her the most. She is an international award-winning photographer and an avid painter with her most recent exhibitions in Seoul, South Korea and Washington, DC. As a mixed media artist, her work is sublime and marked by a nostalgic realism. Her previous book, "Adagio," an illustrated story of her children’s childhood, was widely praised in Korea, where it was published and was the subject of two photo exhibitions in Seoul.

Mărțișoare Workshop 2021
2021-02-27 10:00 - 11:00
Join us for a spring celebration -Mărțișor, March 1st.
Mărțișor is an old tradition celebrated all over Romania every year, on March 1st, also widely spread in Bulgaria and the Balkans.
The name Mărțișor is a diminutive of March (Martie in Romanian).
It is believed that the person who wears the red and white string would enjoy a prosperous and healthy year. Read more HERE
Register HERE in advance for this meeting.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The workshop is destined for kids ages 7+, or younger, supervised by a parent.
Romanian artist and musician Beatrice Iordan will lead the workshop.
Beatrice Iordan is a puppet artist, museum pedagogue at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, and she plays the cobza in the band “Trei Parale”. She also does shadow theater with “Hopa Trop”, her theater company, paints angels and – more than that – she believes that power and inspiration lie in ourselves, that we are our own mentor.
You can find out more about her from this article in Romanian.
Event organized in partnership with the Romanian NGO – Cu Alte Cuvinte, and our community partners from Washington D.C. – Romanians of DC

Beatrice Iordan

Beatrice Iordan is a puppet artist, museum pedagogue at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, and she plays the cobza in the band “Trei Parale”. She also does shadow theater with “Hopa Trop”, her theater company, paints angels and – more than that – she believes that power and inspiration lie in ourselves, that we are our own mentor.

Romanian Heritage Language School 2021
2021-02-22 - 2021-03-31
Are you interested in stimulating your children’s creativity, nourish their bicultural and bilingual heritage?
Our Romanian Heritage Language School offers innovative virtual classes and workshops for children, youth and adults with Romanian background or with an interest to learn Romanian, nationwide. Our teaching methods are based on the core principles of Heritage Language Education that nourish bilingualism and address holisitically the bi-cultural identity of our students through project-based activities, play, authentic sources, critical thinking, and meaningful interactions with their families and communities. Our students gain pride and confidence as heritage language speakers and learners of Romanian, while developing a global understanding of the world.
We are the first and only Romanian secular community-based school to have developed a teaching curriculum according to the priciples of HERITAGE EDUCATION, since 2016. We are looking for partners and happy to share our methodology with other communities in the Romanian diaspora. Please write to Otilia Baraboi at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org to find out more about our programs and possible collaborations with your communities.
Our current students come from numerous regions in the US. We can accommodate to various time zones and have demonstrated experience teaching multiple levels and age groups.
Due to the pandemic, we hold our classes ONLINE. Please scroll down to find out more about our schedule.
Registration
REGISTRATION is now OPEN for ages 4-14+.
Please REGISTER here. We will contact you to schedule a brief language evaluation.
Please send us an email at contact@arcsproject.org if you have questions.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships to families in need. Please contact Otilia Baraboi at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org if you would like to be considered. The application process is easy and based on an email detailing your situation.

Remembering Roma Enslavement and Private Screening of "Letter of Forgiveness" by Alina Șerban
2021-02-19 08:00 - 09:30
ARCS and our partners ARCHER-American Romanian Coalition for Human and Equal Rights invite you to virtually attend the special event "Remembering Roma Enslavement." The event is a recognition and celebration of 165 years of Roma Emancipation.
The event "Remembering Roma Enslavement" consists of two parts. In the first half hour Otilia Baraboi, Executive Director at American Romanian Cultural Society invites us to a private screening of "Letter of Forgiveness," a short movie directed by Alina Serban.
The short brings us back to 1855, when in the household of a wealthy Romanian noblewoman, a lavish dinner is being presented to important guests. As they arrive, Maria, a Roma-Gipsy slave, is making preparations and sees an opportunity to change her and her son Dinca's fates.
Maria and Dinca's story is true; they helped change the course of Romanian history, hastening the abolition of slavery.
In the second part of the event we welcome our guest speakers special guest speakers Dr. Margareta (Magda) Matache, Alina Serban, Dr. Marius Turda, and Adrian Nicolae Furtuna MA in Advanced Sociological Research (Guest speakers bios will be presented in Discussion).
The conversation is moderated by Mihaela Campion, clinical psychotherapist, and Creative visionary of ARCHER, and Andreea Mottram ARCHER co-founder.
The Roma had been enslaved for five centuries in Wallachia and Moldova. Their freedom came 165 years ago, but public recognition of their loss, suffering, and trauma remains patchy to this day. In this discussion about the enslavement of the Roma, we want to pay attention to victimhood, memory, and representation. In an attempt to commemorate this historical experience we also reflect on the recurrent anti-Roma racism in Romania and how it can be successfully resisted.

Alina Serban

Alina Șerban is an independent Roma artist – award-winning actress, playwright, director and activist. After acquiring a drama degree at the Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography in Bucharest, Serban attended the Tisch School of the Arts in New York and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Some of her most important artistic achievements are: pioneering Roma feminist political theatre in Romania and becoming the first Roma woman director to have a play included in the permanent repertoire of a state theatre in Romania. For her main role in Gipsy Queen, Alina Serban earned the Best Actress Award at the Actors Guild Awards in Germany in 2020. She also starred in Alone at My Wedding and she became the first Romanian Roma actress to participate at the Cannes International Film Festival. She won several international awards, including Best Actress. As far as her film work is concerned, she made her debut in filmmaking with the short Letter of Forgiveness, the first film project about the Roma slavery, directed by a Roma. The film received a Special Mention at Transilvania International Film Festival and it is now in the international festival circuit. She also took part in the artistic decision making process as a script consultant for three European film projects focusing on the experiences of Roma women.

Adrian-Nicolae Furtună

Adrian-Nicolae Furtună graduated from the Faculty of Sociology of the University of Bucharest and holds a Master's Degree in Advanced Sociological Research. He is currently enrolled as a Ph.D. student at the Quality of Life Research Institute, specializing in the field of the social memory of Roma slavery.
During the last 15 years, he has published several research papers and scientific articles on Roma slavery and Roma Holocaust in Romania, including The Roma in Romania and the Holocaust. History, theory, culture (published in 2018), Roma slavery in Wallachia. Fragments of social history. Sales of children/donations. Marriages. Requests for release (published in 2019). He also edited the book Deportation of Roma soldiers to Transnistria. Between administrative "mistakes" and biopolitical imperatives. Case studies and archive documents (published in 2020). In 2020 he also curated the exhibition “164 years since the abolition of Roma slavery - Oral maps from today” - a project of social memory.
He is currently the director of the Cultural and Social Research Center "Romane Rodimata" and holds the position of councilor in the Research and Documentation Department of the National Center for Roma Culture.

Andreea Mottram

I have been volunteering and working in human rights and social justice organizations and initiatives for the past 25 years. I have a strong professional and personal passion to advocate for the rights of vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, the elderly, the Roma population, and others. I am grateful to join ARCHER and its energetic group of visionary people committed to fight for social justice. I am ready to serve in this process of change.

Margareta (Magda) Matache

Margareta (Magda) Matache is a Roma rights activist and scholar from Romania, director of the Roma Program at Harvard FXB, and also a Harvard instructor. From 2005 to 2012, Margareta Matache was the Executive Director of Romani CRISS, a leading Roma rights organization that defends the rights of Roma. In 2012 she was awarded a Hauser postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard FXB where she founded the Roma Program. In Spring 2017 she co-edited Realizing Roma Rights, an investigation of anti-Roma racism, with the goal to set the foundations for a more inclusive Europe. Her other publications and research have ranged from the rights and agency of Romani children and adolescents to early childhood development, anti-Roma racism, reparations, segregation in education, and participatory action research.

Marius Turda

Marius Turda is Professor and Director of the Centre for Medical Humanities at Oxford Brookes University. He was the founding director of the Cantemir Institute at the University of Oxford (2012-13) and the founder of the Working Group in the History of Race and Eugenics (2006). His most recent books include Teleology and Modernity (2019); Religion, Evolution, and Heredity (2019); Historicizing Race (2018; Romanian translation 2019); The History of Eugenics in East-Central Europe, 1900-1944: Texts and Commentaries (2016); Eugenics and Nation in Early Twentieth-Century Hungary (2014); Latin Eugenics in Comparative Perspective, 1860-1940 (2014); Crafting Humans: From Genesis to Eugenics and beyond (2013). He is the General Editor of Bloomsbury’s A Cultural History of Race, to be published in 6 volumes (2020-), while his own forthcoming book Scientific Racism in Hungary will be published in 2021. Between 2018 and 2020, he also curated two exhibitions on anthropology, biopolitics, and eugenics in Romania, and was one of the main consultants for the acclaimed BBC documentary ‘Eugenics: Science’s Greatest Scandal’ (2019). He lives in London.

Mihaela Campion

MA, LCPC, CCDVC, Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist
I feel passionate about learning, implementing, and sharing about social justice and human rights. My belief system is founded upon the concept of collective striving for excellence through equal rights. As humans, we learn and grow in an environment that supports and encourages equality. This philosophy has been the main guiding principle for my family, my work, my friendships, and my citizenship. ARCHER is a dream come true.
www.revivaltherapy.com

Romanian Film Festival in Seattle -7th Edition
2020-11-13 - 2020-11-22
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THE ROMANIAN FILM FESTIVAL, 7TH EDITION: “One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying: Resilient Together”
WHEN: NOVEMBER 13-22, 2020
The 7th edition of the Romanian Film Festival will be like no other. Our amazing story for the past six years will go on in a new creative format, responding to our vital need to stay connected through arts, film and meaningful discussions. We invite you to watch, from the comfort of your homes, inspiring stories of resilience and solidarity, imagine the world after the pandemic, and explore new possibilities for social change. We will offer you virtual opportunities to interact with local, national and international special guests. Stay tuned for more as we finalize the program!
WHERE: Northwest Film Forum
Festival Official Partners and Co-Organizers:

Festival Institutional Partners:

FILM FORMATS AND WATCH PARTIES:
All film programs in the 2020 festival will take place online between Nov. 13–22, and are available to view ONLY in the U.S. You can purchase our films and watch them when it is most convenient for you, during the period of the festival. You have between 2-5 days to finish watching a film after you start playing it. Few restrictions may apply to certain films, please read the instructions carefully.
**All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2020 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available with purchase of admission to the associated film. Talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs, but the opening and closing night mixers are available only to viewers in the U.S.) **
Thank you to all Community Partners for helping us spread the word about the Romanian Film Festival Seattle:

Media Partners:
ARCA TV
If you wish to complete your virtual journey to Romania, check out these locations in WA State where you can find exquisite Romanian wines.

Past events

The Soviet Garden (US Premiere)
by

Dragoș Turea

2019, documentary, 92 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

The connection between the mysterious death of the director’s grandmother and the history of the Soviet experiments in atomic gardening demands the unveiling of the Soviet agriculture policies and their health and ecological consequences. Initially encouraged, later threatened, Moldovan scientists had to engineer seeds to produce bigger crops. Combining archival footage with first-hand witnesses’ accounts, the film feels more like a mystery film than a documentary. Appreciated by film critics and the public at large, the documentary was nominated at the Astra Film Festival Award in Sibiu and at the Sarajevo Film Competition.
On Nov. 15 at 9pm PST there will be a live Q&A with the director Dragoș Turea. This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.

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So, What's Freedom?
by

Andrei Zinca

2020, drama, 133 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

So… What’s freedom? is an adaptation of Ana Blandiana’s short story Past Projects. Inspired by true events, the film recreates the drama of a handful of people out of the 40,000 innocents who were deported to the huge fields of Bărăgan, a sort of no man’s land of Romania in the 1950s. A history teacher who puts his hopes in the change promised by communists, his intelligent wife who teaches French and dreams to go to Paris, a Hungarian Romanian, a German Romanian, the family of an Orthodox priest, and a former soldier have to build literally from ground up first a shack, then small adobe houses, in order to survive the harsh winters and hot summers. They trade their jewels for food and a few animals. Life goes on at a huge price but they never lose their dignity and that sets them free. The minimalistic, yet well informed script, the incredibly beautiful cinematography, excellent acting, and subtle music do not provide answers to the question in the title of the film, but suggest that the question is more important than the answer.
Join us for a live Zoom Q&A with the director Andrei Zinca who will tell us more about his film So, What Is Freedom? The Q&A is live on Nov. 21 at 7:30pm PST; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to So, What Is Freedom and mark your calendar for the Q&A at https://watch.eventive.org/.../play/5f86229bffe1d1006200ca2b
Please note: this film program is available only to viewers in the United States.

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Gipsy Queen (US Premiere)
by

Hüseyin Tabak

2020, drama, 117 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

The inspiring boxing story of the Roma single mother Ali follows her challenges both in Romania and in Germany. With the heart of a lioness, Ali is proud, doesn‘t complain, and works herself to the bone for her two children, Esmeralda and Mateo. She becomes a cleaner in Hamburg‘s famous „Ritze“ underground club, where she soon starts training with the owner of the club, former boxer. Recalling training with her father, she regains confidence in her boxing skills. Fully equipped and disappointed by life, Ali vents her fury on the punching bag as she hopes for a chance of a better life. Alina Serban received the Best Leading Actress Award for her role as Ali, and Tobias Moretti received the Best Supporting Actor for his role as Tanne from the German Screen Actors organization. Gipsy Queen won the Best Film Award at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival where Alina Serban also won the Best Actress Award.
On Nov. 21 at 11am PST there will be a live Q&A with the director and actress Alina Serban. This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.

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Marona's Fantastic Tale
by

Anca Damian

2019, animation, 92 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

Marona is a little dog who survives a car accident and recalls all her masters she loved unconditionally. Beautifully told and colorfully drawn, this animation presents ordinary episodes in a life of a pet from the pet’s point of view, imagining, or rather revealing, what animals go through in a world controlled by humans. Selected at numerous festivals, Marona’s Fantastic Tale won the Best Animated Feature at the Bucheon International Animation Film Festival, the Dublin Film Critics’ Special Jury Prize, the Audience Award at Gijon, and the Grand Prize at the Tokyo Anime Award.
On Nov. 22 at 11am PST there will be a live discussion on this animation film. This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.

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Letter of Forgiveness (US Premiere)
by

Alina Serban

2020, short, 15 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

In the household of a wealthy Romanian noblewoman in 1855, Maria, a Roma-Gipsy slave, fights to obtain freedom for her son Dinca. Based on a true story of a Roma mother and son whose life changed the course of Romanian history by bringing about the abolition of slavery sooner. Part of a future full-length project, the short film presents a day in the household in which Maria and her son, Dinca, serve as slaves. As important guests arrive for dinner and all the slaves are making preparations, Maria and her son see this day as a chance to take a step to change their fate. During slavery time, up until 1856, the Romanian equivalent of the word “forgiveness” was used when referring to freeing someone from slavery (the Roma slave was “forgiven” from slavery).
On Nov. 21 at 11am PST there will be a live Q&A with the director and actress Alina Serban. This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.

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Acasă, My Home (West Coast Premiere)
by

Radu Ciorniciuc

2020, documentary, 86 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

Recording the life of a family with 9 children, who lived in a shack in the Delta Văcăresti in Bucharest with no electricity and running water, the documentary raises questions about nature and civilization, individuals’ freedom and society rules, happiness and the standard of living. Radu Ciorniciuc's debut documentary received several international awards among which: the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival 2020, the Special Jury Award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, the Human Rights Award at Sarajevo Film Festival 2020, the Golden Horn at Krakow International Film Festival 2020 and the Big Stamp at the International Documentary Film Festival ZagrebDox 2020. The documentary is also part of the EFA Documentary Selection 2020, consisting of 13 films recommended to The European Film Academy Members for a nomination for the 33rd European Film Awards.
UiPath Foundation is the main partner of Acasă, My Home.

On Nov. 14 at 11am PST there will be a live Q&A with director Radu Ciorniciuc, and UiPath Foundation Executive Director, Raluca Negulescu-Balaci. This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.
The discussion will focus on equal opportunities and education for children from vulnerable areas. UiPath Foundation aims to amplify the powerful message of the documentary and to generate dialogue that fosters systemic changes necessary to support, in the long term, unprivileged children and their families across Romania and India.

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Otto the Barbarian (US Premiere)
by

Ruxandra Ghițescu

2020, drama, 110 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

A sincere and psychologically accurate examination of a teenager’s feelings ranging from grief and sadness to love and happiness, Ruxandra Ghițescu’s debut film lets the camera follow Otto’s wanderings as he tries to cope with his girlfriend’s suicide. Impeccably acted by a father and son both in the film and real life—Adrian and Marc Titieni—as well as Ioana Flora playing the victim’s mother, and Ioana Bugarin playing Laura, Otto’s girlfriend, the film is a coming-of-age story with an incredibly good press even though it had the world premiere only a couple of months ago at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
On Nov. 2o at 9pm PST there will be a live Q&A with the director Ruxandra Ghițescu. This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.

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Malmkrog (West Coast Premiere)
by

Cristi Puiu

2020, drama, 201 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

Cristi Puiu’s most recent film is a three-in-one project: it is an adaptation of Vladimir Solovyov’s Three Conversations, a period drama beautifully recreating the turn of the twentieth century, and a philosophical symposium. Divided in 6 parts—one for each protagonist—this study of the well-mannered, yet intellectually fierce and, at times, condescending, theoretical debates, present a “slice of life” that froze in its eternal futility. Only years before WWI, in an aristocratic manor somewhere in Transylvania, the wealthy businessman Edouard, the landowner Nikolai, the young and naïve Olga, the mature and ironic Madeleine, Ingrida—the wife of a Russian general—and the butler Istvan exchange ideas on war and peace, good and evil, religion, identity, and politics. Malmkrog is a grand feast for the eye as it is for the mind: the abundance of visual details is matched by the dialogue packed with hard concepts. Winner of the Encounters Award for the Best Director at Berlin Film Festival, Cristi Puiu declared that his film is “prophetic.”
On Nov. 15 at 11am PST there will be a live Q&A with film critic Monica Filimon, author of "Cristi Puiu: Ineffable Experiences of the Profane World". This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.

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Monsters (West Coast Premiere)
by

Marius Olteanu

2019, drama, 116 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

An unusual love story, Olteanu’s debut feature film presents one day that leads to the breakup of a long-married couple. Reversing old clichés, the two protagonists—Dana and her husband, Artur—acknowledge the difficulty to let one another go, in spite of the fact that they both admit that there is no love between them, but only camaraderie. Questioning the reasons why couples stay together, the film is an honest portrayal of the complex ties that keep spouses together. Monsters received twenty nominations and several prizes for the best feature film at international film festivals in Romania, Bulgaria, and India, the best screenplay at Berlin, and Herceg Novi, and for the best actress in a leading role for Judith State at Gopo Awards, Romania.
Join us for a live Zoom Q&A with director Marius Olteanu, who will tell us more about his film, Monsters! The Q&A is live on Nov. 14 at 9pm PST; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to Monsters and mark your calendar for the Q&A at https://watch.eventive.org/.../play/5f84f456901cc4003656fb12

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Uppercase Print (US Premiere)
by

Radu Jude

2020, docu-drama, 133 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

Inspired by a 1981 real event—Mugur Călinescu, a high school student in a provincial city, writes graffiti messages about food shortages and lack of freedom—Jude’s film combines archival footage from Romania’s infamous secret police, old TV clips, and a cinematic recreation of Gianina Cărbunariu’s “documentary play” by the same title. Once caught, Mugur, his family, neighbors, and friends, all go through intimidation and interrogation, which break any form of resistance. Camera, like in Jude’s other films, is not simply a recording device, but a conscious witness who adds to the story its own point of view. Uppercase Print was nominated for the Best Feature Film award at IndieLisboa Independent Film festival in Portugal and at the Transilvania International Film Festival.
On Nov. 15 at 7:30pm PST there will be a live discussion with film critic Monica Filimon. This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.

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A Shelter among the Clouds (WA State Premiere)
by

Robert Budina

2018, drama, 83 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 10:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

Set in the mountains of Albania, the story of Besnik, a goat shepherd who takes care of a sick father, unfolds slowly as does the reclusive life of the village. Besnik’s accidental discovery of an old Roman Catholic fresco in the currently functional Mosque becomes an emblematic event both for himself and his village. Inspired by the real history of a church which has changed hands several times between Christians and Muslims for almost 600 years, the film delicately explores the relations in interfaith families, the tension between an individual’s faith and freedom, and religious tolerance, which in the end is embraced by the village. Internationally acclaimed, A Shelter among the Clouds won the Global Vision Award at San Jose, the Best Balkan Film prize at Prishtina, and the Cinema of Small Nations prize at Valletta.
On Nov. 22 at 5pm PST there will be a live discussion on this film. This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.

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Romanian Film festival Seattle: Opening Night Happy Hour

When

Nov. 13, 2020
at 07:30 PM
- 13 Nov. 2020
at 08:30 PM

Where

Online

What

Join the American Romanian Cultural Society Seattle team for a virtual kick-off to the festival over Zoom! Bring your own cocktails and nibbles to the online party.
Visit our website for details about the line-up

For tickets and passes, visit our page on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive.
Stay tuned for more details!

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Acasă, My Home ft. live discussion with director Radu Ciorniciuc and Raluca Negulescu-Balaci, Executive Director, UiPath Foundation

When

Nov. 14, 2020
at 11:00 AM
- 14 Nov. 2020
at 12:07 PM

Where

online

What

Join us for a live Zoom Q&A and discussion with director Radu Ciorniciuc and Raluca Negulescu-Balaci, Executive Director, UiPath Foundation, who will have a conversation about Acasă, My Home, and about equal opportunities for children from vulnerable areas.
The Q&A is live on Nov. 14 at 11am PST and will be live streamed on FB; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to Acasă, My Home and mark your calendar for the Q&A at
https://bit.ly/rffs2020acasa
About the film:
Recording the life of a family with 9 children, who lived in a shack in the Delta Văcăresti in Bucharest with no electricity and running water, the documentary raises questions about nature and civilization, individuals’ freedom and society rules, happiness and the standard of living. Radu Ciorniciuc's debut documentary received several international awards among which: the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival 2020, the Special Jury Award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, the Human Rights Award at Sarajevo Film Festival 2020, the Golden Horn at Krakow International Film Festival 2020 and the Big Stamp at the International Documentary Film Festival ZagrebDox 2020. The documentary is also part of the EFA Documentary Selection 2020, consisting of 13 films recommended to The European Film Academy Members for a nomination for the 33rd European Film Awards.
UiPath Foundation is the main partner of Acasă, My Home.
The discussion will focus on equal opportunities and education for children from vulnerable areas. UiPath Foundation aims to amplify the powerful message of the documentary and to generate dialogue that fosters systemic changes necessary to support, in the long term, unprivileged children and their families across Romania and India.
About Radu Ciorniciuc:
Radu Ciorniciuc co-founded the first independent media organization in Romania, Casa Jurnalistului. He works as a long-form writer and undercover investigative reporter, focusing on human rights, animal welfare, and environmental issues across the globe. His work has been published on Channel 4 News, the Guardian, and Al Jazeera and has received numerous international awards, including from Amnesty International, the Royal Television Society, and the Wincott Foundation.
About Raluca Negulescu-Balaci:
Raluca Negulescu-Balaci is the Executive Director of UiPath Foundation, a global non-profit organization, founded by UiPath in January 2019, to empower underprivileged children from Romania and India to reach their potential through equal access to quality education. Previously, Raluca coordinated comprehensive educational programs under the umbrella of the Policy Center for Roma and Minorities for 9 years. In 2007, she worked as a Junior Consultant in a World Bank-supported national program, focused on enabling 250 disadvantaged communities in Romania to keep up with fast-technological challenges. In 2013, Raluca was a Legislative Fellow in the US Department of State professional program “Building grassroots democracy in minority communities” and she received the Annual Human Rights Award of the Embassy of France in Romania, for her local women empowerment initiative – Mothers' Club. Raluca is a fellow of Aspen Institute Romania’s Young Leaders Program and a member of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum.
** All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2020 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available with purchase of admission to the associated film. Talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs but the opening and closing night mixers are available only to viewers in the U.S.) **
To buy tickets for this or other programs in the festival, visit the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle Eventive page, hosted by Northwest Film Forum:
https://watch.eventive.org/romanianfilmfestseattle2020

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Monsters, feat. live Q&A with director Marius Olteanu

When

Nov. 14, 2020
at 09:00 PM
- 14 Nov. 2020
at 10:00 PM

Where

online

What

Join us for a live Zoom Q&A with director Marius Olteanu, who will tell us more about his film, Monsters! The Q&A is live on Nov. 14 at 9pm PST; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to Monsters and mark your calendar for the Q&A at https://bit.ly/rffs2020monsters
About the film:
An unusual love story, Olteanu’s debut feature film presents one day that leads to the breakup of a long-married couple. Reversing old clichés, the two protagonists—Dana and her husband, Artur—acknowledge the difficulty to let one another go, in spite of the fact that they both admit that there is no love between them, but only camaraderie. Questioning the reasons why couples stay together, the film is an honest portrayal of the complex ties that keep spouses together. Monsters received twenty nominations and several prizes for the best feature film at international film festivals in Romania, Bulgaria, and India, the best screenplay at Berlin, and Herceg Novi, and for the best actress in a leading role for Judith State at Gopo Awards, Romania.
** All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2020 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available with purchase of admission to the associated film. Talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs but the opening and closing night mixers are available only to viewers in the U.S.) **
To buy tickets for this or other programs in the festival, visit the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle Eventive page, hosted by Northwest Film Forum:
https://watch.eventive.org/romanianfilmfestseattle2020

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Live Discussion on Malmkrog

When

Nov. 15, 2020
at 11:00 AM
- 15 Nov. 2020
at 12:07 PM

Where

online

What

Join us for a live Zoom Q&A with film critic Monica Filimon, author of "Cristi Puiu: Ineffable Experiences of the Profane World". The Q&A is live on Nov. 15 at 11am PST; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to Malmkrog and mark your calendar for the Q&A at https://bit.ly/rffs2020malmkrog
About Monica Filimon:
Monica Filimon was awarded a PhD in Comparative Literature by Rutgers University. She is Associate Professor of English at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY. She has published articles on French, German, and Romanian films. Her research focuses on the New Romanian Cinema, its sources, evolution, and major representatives. Her first book Cristi Puiu: Ineffable Experiences of the Profane World was published by the University of Illinois Press in February 2017. She is currently working on a second book tentatively titled Corneliu Porumboiu: Notes on the Absurd.
About the Film:
Cristi Puiu’s most recent film is a three-in-one project: it is an adaptation of Vladimir Solovyov’s Three Conversations, a period drama beautifully recreating the turn of the twentieth century, and a philosophical symposium. Divided in 6 parts—one for each protagonist—this study of the well-mannered, yet intellectually fierce and, at times, condescending, theoretical debates, present a “slice of life” that froze in its eternal futility. Only years before WWI, in an aristocratic manor somewhere in Transylvania, the wealthy businessman Edouard, the landowner Nikolai, the young and naïve Olga, the mature and ironic Madeleine, Ingrida—the wife of a Russian general—and the butler Istvan exchange ideas on war and peace, good and evil, religion, identity, and politics. Malmkrog is a grand feast for the eye as it is for the mind: the abundance of visual details is matched by the dialogue packed with hard concepts. Winner of the Encounters Award for the Best Director at Berlin Film Festival, Cristi Puiu declared that his film is “prophetic.”
****All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2020 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available with purchase of admission to the associated film. Talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs but the opening and closing night mixers are available only to viewers in the U.S.) ***
To buy tickets for this or other programs in the festival, visit the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle Eventive page, hosted by Northwest Film Forum:
https://watch.eventive.org/romanianfilmfestseattle2020

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Live Discussion on Uppercase Print

When

Nov. 15, 2020
at 07:30 PM
- 21 Nov. 2020
at 08:30 PM

Where

online

What

Join us for a live Zoom discussion on Radu Jude's latest masterpiece Uppercase Print, with film critic Monica Filimon. The Q&A is live on Nov. 15 at 7:30pm PST; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to Uppercase Print and mark your calendar for the Q&A at:
https://bit.ly/rffs2020uppercase
About the film:
Inspired by a 1981 real event—Mugur Călinescu, a high school student in a provincial city, writes graffiti messages about food shortages and lack of freedom—Jude’s film combines archival footage from Romania’s infamous secret police, old TV clips, and a cinematic recreation of Gianina Cărbunariu’s “documentary play” by the same title. Once caught, Mugur, his family, neighbors, and friends, all go through intimidation and interrogation, which break any form of resistance. Camera, like in Jude’s other films, is not simply a recording device, but a conscious witness who adds to the story its own point of view. Uppercase Print was nominated for the Best Feature Film award at IndieLisboa Independent Film festival in Portugal and at the Transilvania International Film Festival.
About Monica Filimon:
Monica Filimon was awarded a PhD in Comparative Literature by Rutgers University. She is Associate Professor of English at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY. She has published articles on French, German, and Romanian films. Her research focuses on the New Romanian Cinema, its sources, evolution, and major representatives. Her first book Cristi Puiu: Ineffable Experiences of the Profane World was published by the University of Illinois Press in February 2017. She is currently working on a second book tentatively titled Corneliu Porumboiu: Notes on the Absurd.
** All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2020 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available with purchase of admission to the associated film. Talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs but the opening and closing night mixers are available only to viewers in the U.S.) **
To buy tickets for this or other programs in the festival, visit the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle Eventive page, hosted by Northwest Film Forum:
https://watch.eventive.org/romanianfilmfestseattle2020

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Live Q&A On The Soviet Garden with Director Dragoș Turea

When

Nov. 15, 2020
at 09:00 PM
- 15 Nov. 2020
at 10:00 PM

Where

online

What

Join us for a live Q&A with the director Dragoș Turea who will tell us more about the personal story behind his documentary. The Q&A is live on Nov. 15 at 9pm PST; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to The Soviet Garden and mark your calendar for the Q&A at https://bit.ly/rffs2020soviet
About The Soviet Garden
The connection between the mysterious death of the director’s grandmother and the history of the Soviet experiments in atomic gardening demands the unveiling of the Soviet agriculture policies and their health and ecological consequences. Initially encouraged, later threatened, Moldovan scientists had to engineer seeds to produce bigger crops. Combining archival footage with first-hand witnesses’ accounts, the film feels more like a mystery film than a documentary. Appreciated by film critics and the public at large, the documentary was nominated at the Astra Film Festival Award in Sibiu and at the Sarajevo Film Competition.
About Dragoș Turea
Dragoș Turea was born in Chisinau, Moldova in 1980. He graduated the Audiovisual Communication at the Academy of Theatre and Film, Bucharest. In 2006 earned his Master’s Degree in Film, at the Chisinau Academy of Music, Theatre and Arts. Dragos made his debut in cinema with his short documentary Vasile Mamaligă, which received the of the 2007 Union of Filmmakers from Moldova debut prize. Between 2007 and 2015 he worked as a producer for Publika TV, Prime TV, Jurnal TV. In 2010 he started his biggest project to date, the feature-length documentary film, The Soviet Garden.
** All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2020 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available with purchase of admission to the associated film. Talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs but the opening and closing night mixers are available only to viewers in the U.S.) **
To buy tickets for this or other programs in the festival, visit the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle Eventive page, hosted by Northwest Film Forum:
https://watch.eventive.org/romanianfilmfestseattle2020

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Live Q&A on Otto the Barbarian

When

Nov. 20, 2020
at 09:00 PM
- 20 Nov. 2020
at 10:00 PM

Where

online

What

Join us for a live discussion with director Ruxandra Ghițescu and her powerful debut film, Otto the Barbarian. The Q&A is live on Nov. 20 at 9pm PST; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to Otto The Barbarian and mark your calendar for the Q&A at
https://bit.ly/rffs2020otto
About the film:
Otto the Barbarian is a sincere and psychologically accurate examination of a teenager’s feelings ranging from grief and sadness to love and happiness, Ruxandra Ghițescu’s debut film tells the story of Otto as he tries to cope with his girlfriend’s suicide.
About Ruxandra Ghițescu:
Ruxandra Ghițescu is a Romanian visual artist and filmmaker. She is a graduate student of the Media Art School, in Karlsruhe, Germany. Ruxandra is currently working as a director on films, commercials and as a scriptwriter. She was selected to participate in Berlinale Talents in 2015, as well as in Sarajevo Talents and Transylvania Talents in 2014. Her debut feature Otto the Barbarian, a Romanian-Belgian coproduction, was part of L’Atelier de Cinefondation 2017, Berlinale Script Station 2016, CineLink Sarajevo 2016 - winner of the Macedonian Film Institute Prize, CineLink Work in Progress 2019 and premiered in 2020 at Sarajevo IFF.
** All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2020 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available with purchase of admission to the associated film. Talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs but the opening and closing night mixers are available only to viewers in the U.S.) **
To buy tickets for this or other programs in the festival, visit the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle Eventive page, hosted by Northwest Film Forum:
https://watch.eventive.org/romanianfilmfestseattle2020

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Collective (US Premiere on Nov 20 by Magnolia Pictures)
by

Alexandru Nanau

2019, documentary, 109 minutes

Buy tickets

When

Nov. 21, 2020
at 01:00 AM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 11:00 PM

Where

Northwest Film Forum

Synopsis

In the 2015 tragic fire in a Bucharest club, 27 people died on one night and many more in the following weeks because of an inefficient and corrupt health system. Connecting the dots between the stories told by journalists, whistle blowers, doctors, politicians, the film allows images to speak for the suffering and the resilience of the Collective Club victims. Collective has an impressive list of awards, among which are the Best International Film at DocAviv Israel, the Grand Jury Prize at the One World International Human Rights Documentary Festival in Prague, the Documentary Award in Luxembourg, the Grand Prix at La Roche-sur-Yon and the Ulysses Award for the best documentary at Montpellier, France.
On Nov. 21 at 9pm PST there will be a live Q&A with the director Alexandru Nanau. This talk will be LIVE on this page at that time, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist for later viewing.

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Live Q&A with lead actress and director Alina Șerban

Instructors

When

Nov. 21, 2020
at 11:00 AM
- 21 Nov. 2020
at 12:07 PM

Where

online

What

Join us for a live Q&A with the director and actress Alina Serban (lead actress in Gipsy Queen, lead actress and director of Letter of Forgiveness).
The Q&A is live on Nov. 21 at 11am PST; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to Gipsy Queen and Letter of Forgiveness and mark your calendar for the Q&A at https://bit.ly/rffs2020gipsy
About Alina Serban:
Alina Șerban is an independent Roma artist – award-winning actress, playwright, director and activist. Some of her most important artistic achievements are: pioneering Roma feminist political theatre in Romania and becoming the first Roma woman director to have a play included in the permanent repertoire of a state theatre in Romania. For her main role in Gipsy Queen, Alina Serban earned the Best Actress Award at the Actors Guild Awards in Germany in 2020. She also starred in Alone at My Wedding and she became the first Romanian Roma actress to participate at the Cannes International Film Festival. She won several international awards, including Best Actress.
She made her debut in filmmaking with the short Letter of Forgiveness, the first film project about the Roma slavery, directed by a Roma. The film received a Special Mention at Transilvania International Film Festival and it is now in the international festival circuit.
About the films:
*Gipsy Queen (Romania, 2020) | Director: Hüseyin Tabak (Best Film Award at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival)
The inspiring story of a Roma single mother - Ali - who follows her ambition to become a boxing professional while working herself to the bone for her two children, Esmeralda and Mateo. Fully disappointed by life, Ali vents her fury on the punching bag as she hopes for a chance of a better life.
*Letter of Forgiveness (Romania, 2020) | Director: Alina Serban
In the household of a wealthy Romanian noblewoman in 1855, Maria, a Roma-Gipsy slave, fights to obtain freedom for her son Dinca. Based on a true story of a Roma mother and son whose life changed the course of Romanian history by bringing about the abolition of slavery sooner. Part of a future full-length project, the short film presents a day in the household in which Maria and her son, Dinca, serve as slaves. During slavery time, up until 1856, the Romanian equivalent of the word “forgiveness” was used when referring to freeing someone from slavery (the Roma slave was “forgiven” from slavery).
** All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2020 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available with purchase of admission to the associated film. Talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs but the opening and closing night mixers are available only to viewers in the U.S.) **
To buy tickets for this or other programs in the festival, visit the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle Eventive page, hosted by Northwest Film Forum:
https://watch.eventive.org/romanianfilmfestseattle2020

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Live Q&A on So, What Is Freedom?

When

Nov. 21, 2020
at 07:30 PM
- 21 Nov. 2020
at 08:30 PM

Where

online

What

Join us for a live Zoom Q&A with the director Andrei Zinca who will tell us more about his film So, What Is Freedom? The Q&A is live on Nov. 21 at 7:30pm PST; watch the film any time Nov. 13–22.
Reserve your ticket to So, What's Freedom? and mark your calendar for the Q&A at https://bit.ly/rffs2020freedom
About the film:
Inspired by true events, So, What's Freedom? recreates the drama of a handful of people out of the 40,000 innocents who were deported by the communist regime to the huge fields of Bărăgan, a sort of no man’s land of Romania in the 1950s.
About Andrei Zinca:
Andrei Zinca studied Film and TV Photography in Romania, at the Institute for Theatre and Film Arts (IATC) and Directing and Film Production at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Before he left Romania in 1982, he contributed as a Camera Operator to 8 features. His debut as a Director/Producer happened in 1987, with “Rosa de America”, a 6 hour period TV mini-series. In 1988, Mr. Zinca moved to the U.S., where he established himself as a leading Director/Producer for the TV Hispanic U.S. and Latin American markets, with more than 1500 hours of television under his belt. In 1991 he was nominated for an Emmy Regional Award for a Special Program about Pope John-Paul II and the Vatican, which he directed and co-produced. In 2006 Mr. Zinca returned to Romania as a Line Producer for “Mirrors”, a New Regency/20th. Century Fox production. He also directed the local award winning TV series “La urgenta”. In 2013 he directed, co-wrote and co-produced “Puzzle for a Blind Man”, his first theatrical feature, awarded for best picture, script, lead actors and photography at various independent film festivals in the US. The film has been sold to various European countries, Turkey and the US.
** All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2020 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available with purchase of admission to the associated film. Talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs but the opening and closing night mixers are available only to viewers in the U.S.) **
To buy tickets for this or other programs in the festival, visit the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle Eventive page, hosted by Northwest Film Forum:
https://watch.eventive.org/romanianfilmfestseattle2020

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Romanian Film festival Seattle: Closing Night Happy Hour

Instructors

When

Nov. 22, 2020
at 07:30 PM
- 22 Nov. 2020
at 08:30 PM

Where

Online

What

Raise another virtual glass with the Romanian Film Festival Seattle and Northwest Film Forum teams, as they say goodbye to another year of the festival! Share what your favorite films were this year, and discuss Romanian film and culture.
Visit our website for details about the line-up

For tickets and passes, visit our page on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive.

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Guests

Alina Serban

Alina Șerban is an independent Roma artist – award-winning actress, playwright, director and activist. After acquiring a drama degree at the Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography in Bucharest, Serban attended the Tisch School of the Arts in New York and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Some of her most important artistic achievements are: pioneering Roma feminist political theatre in Romania and becoming the first Roma woman director to have a play included in the permanent repertoire of a state theatre in Romania. For her main role in Gipsy Queen, Alina Serban earned the Best Actress Award at the Actors Guild Awards in Germany in 2020. She also starred in Alone at My Wedding and she became the first Romanian Roma actress to participate at the Cannes International Film Festival. She won several international awards, including Best Actress. As far as her film work is concerned, she made her debut in filmmaking with the short Letter of Forgiveness, the first film project about the Roma slavery, directed by a Roma. The film received a Special Mention at Transilvania International Film Festival and it is now in the international festival circuit. She also took part in the artistic decision making process as a script consultant for three European film projects focusing on the experiences of Roma women.

Alexandru Nanau

Alexander Nanau is a German-Romanian filmmaker. His documentary film, The World according to Ion B was awarded an International Emmy Award in 2010. His feature documentary film Toto and His Sisters was a European Academy Award nominee 2015. The film had a wide international distribution and played successfully in festivals worldwide. Alexander served as Director of Photography for the French/German documentary Nothingwood (Sonia Kronlund) that was shot in Afghanistan and premiered in Cannes as part of La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in 2017. His latest feature length documentary Collective premiered at the Venice IFF 2019- as part of the Official Selection - Out of Competition and had its North American premiere at TIFF Toronto, where it was acquired by Magnolia Pictures and Participant for US distribution and other distributors like Dogwoof and Sophie DuLac for Europe and Madman in Australia. Collective is produced by Alexander Nanau Production in co-production with Samsa Film Luxembourg and HBO Europe. Alexander is also teaching and mentoring in several International Film Universities and Filmlabs.

Andrei Zinca

Andrei Zinca studied Film and TV Photography in Romania, at the Institute for Theatre and Film Arts (IATC) and Directing and Film Production at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Before he left Romania in 1982, he contributed as a Camera Operator to 8 features. His debut as a Director/Producer happened in 1987, with “Rosa de America”, a 6 hour period TV mini-series. In 1988, Mr. Zinca moved to the U.S., where he established himself as a leading Director/Producer for the TV Hispanic U.S. and Latin American markets, with more than 1500 hours of television under his belt. In 1991 he was nominated for an Emmy Regional Award for a Special Program about Pope John-Paul II and the Vatican, which he directed and co-produced. In 2006 Mr. Zinca returned to Romania as a Line Producer for “Mirrors”, a New Regency/20th. Century Fox production. He also directed the local award winning TV series “La urgenta”. In 2013 he directed, co-wrote and co-produced “Puzzle for a Blind Man”, his first theatrical feature, awarded for best picture, script, lead actors and photography at various independent film festivals in the US. The film has been sold to various European countries, Turkey and the US. His second feature, “So, What’s Freedom?” is scheduled to premiere in 2020. Through his Double 4 Studios production company, Mr. Zinca is currently producing a feature documentary about how today’s society defines females. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0956913/

Dragoș Turea

Dragos Turea was born in Chisinau, Moldova in 1980. He graduated the Audiovisual Communication at the Academy of Theatre and Film, Bucharest. In 2006 earned his Master’s Degree in Film, at the Chisinau Academy of Music, Theatre and Arts. Dragos made his debut in cinema with his short documentary Vasile Mamaligă, which received the of the 2007 Union of Filmmakers from Moldova debut prize. Between 2007 and 2015 he worked as a producer for Publika TV, Prime TV, Jurnal TV. In 2010 he started his biggest project to date, the feature-length documentary film, The Soviet Garden.

Marius Olteanu

Marius Olteanu, born in Bucharest in 1979, studied Film Directing in Bucharest and earned an MA in Fiction Film Directing in the UK. He focuses on the clash between private and social life and the boundaries between the two, always trying to explore what lies beyond the perfect surface of things and finding new cinematic ways to convey the struggle with one’s own limits. Olteanu worked as an assistant director for Cristi Puiu's award winning film Sieranevada (2016). Following four award winning short films: Sunday Afternoon, Why Don’t You Dance, Tie, and No Man’s Land, Olteanu’s first feature-length film, Monsters, premiered in Berlinale Forum 2019 and received Sofia IFF Grand Prix. Beside his work as a writer and director, he is also a published photographer interested in capturing what brings people together and makes them aware of who they are.

Monica Filimon

Monica Filimon was awarded a PhD in Comparative Literature by Rutgers University. She is Associate Professor of English at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY. She has published articles on French, German, and Romanian films. Her research focuses on the New Romanian Cinema, its sources, evolution, and major representatives. Her first book Cristi Puiu: Ineffable Experiences of the Profane World was published by the University of Illinois Press in February 2017. She is currently working on a second book tentatively titled Corneliu Porumboiu: Notes on the Absurd.

Radu Ciorniciuc

Radu Ciorniciuc co-founded the first independent media organization in Romania, Casa Jurnalistului. He works as a long-form writer and undercover investigative reporter, focusing on human rights, animal welfare, and environmental issues across the globe. His work has been published on Channel 4 News, the Guardian, and Al Jazeera and has received numerous international awards, including from Amnesty International, the Royal Television Society, and the Wincott Foundation.

Ruxandra Ghițescu

Ruxandra Ghițescu is a Romanian visual artist and filmmaker. She is a graduate student of the Media Art School, in Karlsruhe, Germany. Ruxandra is currently working as a director on films, commercials and as a scriptwriter. She was selected to participate in Berlinale Talents in 2015, as well as in Sarajevo Talents and Transylvania Talents in 2014. Her debut feature Otto the Barbarian, a Romanian-Belgian coproduction, was part of L’Atelier de Cinefondation 2017, Berlinale Script Station 2016, CineLink Sarajevo 2016 - winner of the Macedonian Film Institute Prize, CineLink Work in Progress 2019 and premiered in 2020 at Sarajevo IFF.

Raluca Negulescu-Balaci

Raluca Negulescu-Balaci is the Executive Director of UiPath Foundation, a global non-profit organization, founded by UiPath in January 2019, to empower underprivileged children from Romania and India to reach their potential through equal access to quality education. Previously, Raluca coordinated comprehensive educational programs under the umbrella of the Policy Center for Roma and Minorities for 9 years. In 2007, she worked as a Junior Consultant in a World Bank-supported national program, focused on enabling 250 disadvantaged communities in Romania to keep up with fast-technological challenges. In 2013, Raluca was a Legislative Fellow in the US Department of State professional program “Building grassroots democracy in minority communities” and she received the Annual Human Rights Award of the Embassy of France in Romania, for her local women empowerment initiative – Mothers' Club. Raluca is a fellow of Aspen Institute Romania’s Young Leaders Program and a member of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum.

Tickets and passes

The Romanian Film Festival- 7th Edition

Romanian Film Festival -8th Edition - Passes

Passes provide the most streamlined, flexible viewing experience possible.
They are priced on a sliding scale, but are not "different" from one another in terms of what they grant purchasers access to.
Pay what you can to support the work that we're doing!
For individual tickets, please go to each film's description and select "buy tickets".

$100

Buy

Virtual Cinema of Eastern Europe
2020-09-30 - 2020-10-31
Welcome to Virtual Cinema of Eastern Europe! Since we cannot gather in theaters anymore, we will bring to you unforgettable cinematic stories that will quench your curiosity and longing for far away lands. Our program offers a retrospective of the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle, together with other Eastern European Films that are not accessible to the large audience.
When you buy a ticket from FILMABEE, the net proceeds will help us cover the cost of the online platform and distribution rights for the films. You will help the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle survive despite the dire times, and continue a community- building tradition started seven years ago. THANK YOU for supporting the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle!

FILMABEE is a platform designed and curated by Seattle-based film director Bogdan Darev, to o bring you an innovative, interactive approach to watching films online. You can also watch any film whenever works best for you.

Join ARCS Executive Director and manager of the Romanian Film Festival, Otilia Baraboi, and her special guests from Romanian and the US, for "Morning Coffee and Films", our new virtual film discussions series. Go to FILMABEE to join the discussion.
This project was financed by private donations and a special grant for COVID Relief awarded by 4Culture. We are grateful for their support!

Past events

Morning Coffee and Films- Special Focus: Coping with Film Festivals Cancellations

When

May 23, 2020
at 10:30 AM
- 23 May. 2020
at 11:30 AM

Where

Online

What

Join us for an informal conversation on "Parking" and "Of Snails and Men", with a special focus: Coping with Film Festivals Cancellations, featuring Tudor Giurgiu, filmmaker and president of Transilvania Film Festival.
Founded in 2002, in the town of Cluj-Napoca, Transilvania IFF has grown rapidly to become the most important film-related event in Romania and one of the most spectacular annual events in the region. It is a member of the Alliance of Central and Eastern European Film Festivals (CENTEAST) and it is supported by the Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme. In 2011, Transilvania IFF was accredited by the FIAPF, which places it among the 40 most important festivals in the world.

Morning Coffee and Films- Special Focus:Romanian Cinema and Roma Rights Activism

When

May 30, 2020
at 10:30 AM
- 30 May. 2020
at 11:30 AM

Where

ONLINE

What

Join us for a morning discussion on Radu Jude's Golden Bear winner "Aferim!". Our special focus will be Romanian Cinema and Roma Rights Activism, with our former guest speakers at the Romanian Film Festival: Robert Horton (film critic), Magda Matache (Roma rights activist and scholar, director of the Roma Program at Harvard FXB) and Cristiana Grigore (research scholar and founder of the Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University).
Explore these resources to find out more about the topic:
• Read an article co-authored by Magda Matache about the wave of racism affecting the Roma population in Europe during the pandemic: The Shameful Resurgence of Violent Scapegoating in a Time of Crisis in Open Democracy.
• Read We Don't Speak to Them to learn more about the mission of the Roma Peoples Project and their vital role in bringing awareness of the underlying racism affecting the Roma worldwide.
• Read Robert Horton's article on Aferim! in The Film Comment.

Morning Coffee and Films - Special Focus: Collective Memory in the Works of Eastern European Female Directors

When

June 6, 2020
at 10:30 AM
- 06 Jun. 2020
at 11:30 AM

Where

ONLINE

What

Drink your morning coffee in the company of our guests from Romania and Bulgaria, filmmakers and producers Oana Giurgiu and Maya Vitkova. Our conversation will have a special focus: Collective Memory in the Works of Eastern European Female Directors, taking as a departure point Giurgiu's documentary "Aliyah DaDa" (presented at the Romanian Film Festival in 2016) and Vitkova's "Viktoria" (presented at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2014).
Read “Viktoria”: A Great Film About Women, by a Woman, by Richard Brody to find out more about the topic.

Morning Coffee and Films with Bogdan Darev

When

June 20, 2020
at 10:30 AM
- 20 Jun. 2020
at 11:30 AM

Where

ONLINE

What

Drink your morning coffee in the company of our guest, local producer and director Bogdan Darev. We will discuss his on camera meeting with his father 23 years after seeing each other for the last time in Bulgaria. The moment is beautifully captured in his documentary THERE available to watch on FILMABEE.
You can join the discussion on our integrated video conference page.

Thank you for supporting a local initiative that creates meaningful dialogue between various East European communities through film and art!

Morning Coffee and Films: Georgian Cinema with Maryna Ajaja

When

July 18, 2020
at 10:30 AM
- 18 Jul. 2020
at 11:30 AM

Where

Online

What

Join us for another discussion on Eastern European with special guest, Maryna Ajaja, Seattle-based poet and SIFF programmer.

We will discuss the Georgian film "In Bloom", as well as common themes and aesthetics in Eastern European cinema. Critics have praised this film for the "languid camera work of veteran Romanian New Wave cinematographer Oleg Mutu", bringing forth similarities between the two cinematographies.

You can watch "In Bloom" on our carefully curated platform Filmabee and support our cross-cultural mission:
https://www.filmabee.com/inbloom

A Particular Beauty: Romanian Folk Clothing
2020-04-30 16:30 - 18:00 | Maryhill Museum of Art
We are proud to sponsor Maryhill Museum of Art Exhibit:
“When she was Romania’s crown princess (1893–1914), Marie of Edinburgh (later Queen Marie of Romania) began wearing peasant-inspired clothing from the country’s eastern provinces — a fashion trend long promoted by Elisabeth of Wied, Queen of Romania, and her court. A Particular Beauty draws from Maryhill’s collection of more than 450 items of Romanian clothing and textiles. The display will include about 20 fully dressed mannequins, and numerous individual garments such as coats, vests, shirts and blouses.The exhibition will showcase a remarkable variety of Romanian embroidery techniques, mediums, and styles that have evolved through the influences of adjacent ethnic populations, resident invaders, other outsiders, and—in recent decades–urbanization. Contextual labels and photographs will tie the objects to specific villages, counties, geographical regions, and artisan workshops.”
A Particular Beauty: Romanian Folk Clothing will be accompanied by a 32-page color publication (available in Summer 2020) as well as numerous education programs throughout the season.
View Program
Major sponsors of the exhibition are Bill and Cathy Dickson with support from the Romanian American Society (Portland) and the American Romanian Cultural Society (Seattle). Partners include Atlianta, Washington D.C., the American Romanian Cultural Society (ARCS) Seattle; the Romanian American Society (RAS) Portland; and, the Romanian Cultural Institute (CRCI) New York. ”

Workshops, Romanian Language and Culture Classes 2020
2020-03-23 - 2020-06-30
Are you interested in stimulating your children’s creativity, nourish their bicultural and bilingual heritage?
The Center of Excellence ROMANIAN IN ACTION (ROACT) offers innovative virtual classes and workshops for children, youth and adults with Romanian background or with an interest to learn Romanian. Our teaching methods are based on the core principles of Heritage Language Education that nourish bilingualism and address holisitically the bi-cultural identity of our students through project-based activities, play, authentic sources, critical thinking, and meaningful interactions with their families and communities. Our students gain pride and confidence as heritage language speakers and learners of Romanian, while developing a global understanding of the world.

Can We Remember What Matters? A Photography Exhibit by Gabriela Cociuba
2019-12-21 19:30 - 21:30
We are happy to inaugurate our series of community storytelling events with a photography project by Romanian American artist Gabriela Cociuba.
As we draw close to the 30 year anniversary of the Romanian Revolution, we hope that Gabriela’s “recycled” photographs will trigger engaging discussions about the ways in which we fabricate our memories.
What are your memories of the Romanian Revolution or the the Fall of Communism? Where were you? Do you remember following the events from abroad on TV, radio or the written press, or where you there, in the streets? Please join us and share your stories with us.
Gabriela’s exhibit was part of a larger project entitled “How to Remember What Doesn’t Matter”.
More details here: https://www.gabrielacociuba.com/projects#/how-to-remember-what-doesnt-matter/
Join us for the opening reception December 21, 7:30pm at Solo Bar in Seattle. The exhibit will be up through January 2020.

Videograms of a Revolution
2019-12-07 17:15 - 18:45 | Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98122
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* Co-presented with Northwest Film Forum and Making Waves New Romanian Cinema on the occasion of The Romanians, 30 Years Of Cinema Revolution, a film series coming to NWFF and other Seattle locations in 2020, dedicated to the Romanian Revolution of 1989! **
Videograms of a Revolution is a compilation and distillation of footage shot throughout the latter days of 1989 in Bucharest, Romania, as demonstrators in opposition to the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu began to document a revolution in real time using the period’s most immediate means of communication: Television. As a vocal resistance began forming during Ceaușescu’s final speech on December 21st, it became clear that a tide was shifting and this moment must be seized to spread the word. So demonstrators forcibly occupied the television station and began broadcasting uninterrupted for the next 120 hours with the explicit intent on overthrowing Ceaușescu and holding him accountable for his crimes. What played out was a revolution with such immediacy, Ceaușescu was sentenced to death by execution on Christmas Day, broadcasts still running live for this moment.
Harun Farocki and Andrei Ujică’s remarkable film recreates this stream of broadcasts, but more pointedly shows the power of technology when its handed over to the people, and that news could in fact be delivered with an immediacy we almost take for granted these days. The impact of this revolution not only had a lasting impact for demonstrators all around the world, but arguably changed how people all around the world engage with technology as a means of immediate communication and organization.
“We get all of the broadcast glitches, unedited feeds, powergrabbing chaos, and epochal please-stand-by ellipses; as civilians literally defend the TV station with combat rifles, unidentified counter-revolutionary snipers hole up in massive and empty high-rise buildings the dictator had built and then abandoned. The sense of exhilarating liberation and history made as we watch is consistently leavened by the weird distance, between citizens and their own revolt, occupied by TV cameras and monitors. By the end of the week, and the Ceausescus’ executions, nothing is real – or historical – until it is seen on television.” – Michael Atkinson, The Village Voice

The Romanians: 30 Years of Cinema Revolution
2019-12-07 05:15 - 2020-05-02 18:00 | Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98122
We are proud to partner with Making Waves in NY, Northwest Film Forum and SIFF to bring you a retrospective of Romanian cinema that will be touring the US between November 2019-May 2020, starting with Film Forum New York and BAMPFA Berkeley CA.
Spanning the 30 years since the 1989 Romanian Revolution, this comprehensive showcase is curated by Making Waves and presents 30 representative titles from the recent history of Romanian cinema, among which we picked a selection of films that have never been screened in Seattle.
History is the running theme in most films. In the 1990s, directors who found themselves freed from the tyranny of censorship rushed out in the open to tell stories from the recent past. In the following two decades, younger directors went back in time on their own terms and came up with a fresh perspective on the communist era. Even when they chronicled the present in sharp slices of life, the dark shadows of the past still permeated their contemporary stories, like familiar ghosts. In 2005, a three hour-long black comedy about a dying man, The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu (dir. Cristi Puiu) was part of the birth of an artistic revolution that ignited an ever-growing international interest in an outstanding generation of filmmakers. It also triggered the rediscovery of past highlights which offered a genealogy for what critics came to call the Romanian New Wave.
Newer films dig into the more distant though equally relevant past, and there is also escapism, mostly in genre formats. But despite its apparent diversity, this vast retrospective works best as a history lesson served in the most entertaining form: movies.
Visit The Romanians: 30 Years Of Cinema Revolution for more details about the entire program of the retrospective.
The Romanians: 30 Years of Cinema Revolution is organized by the Making Waves Film Festival and Cinema Projects. Produced by Corina Șuteu and Oana Radu, and curated by Mihai Chirilov, David Schwartz (Cinema Projects) and Corina Șuteu.
The U.S. Tour is made possible by the support of Adrian Ghenie, Șerban Savu and Galeria Plan B, Moebius Gallery, Alexandre Almajeanu and Gentica Foundation, Dacin Sara, and numerous individual donors.
CORONA VIRUS ALERT!!!!
This event was cancelled. We are now exploring the possibility of online screening. Thank you for your patience!
We hope our community will overcome these difficult times as soon as possible. STAY HEALTHY and protect the most vulnerable of us by keeping your social distance.

Freak Show
2019-11-18 19:30 - 21:00 | Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave, Kirkland, 98033, United States
FREAK SHOW, written, directed and performed by Florin Piersic Jr, is a dynamic tour de force that keeps the audience with bated breath for almost two hours. Florin Piersic Jr plays 13 characters (a fake billionaire, worker, banker, retiree, TV producer, professor, beggar, among others). You will watch a versatile actor who continuously changes parts in a hallucinatory chain of transformations. Between 2014 and 2017, FREAK SHOW has been selected by several festivals in Romania and has toured abroad in London, Brussels, Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Toulouse, and Koln. Since the opening night, FREAK SHOW has become a reference point for Romanian theatre. EVENT IN ROMANIAN
“Well-versed then in physical metamorphosis, Piersic is adept in Freak Show. He seems effortlessly to lend his body to his characters, while hats, wigs and fake teeth add the finishing touches. Though they’re a diverse range of types, Piersic’s personae do share one thing: they’re the product of Today and all of them suffer from modern day maladies: deception, insensitivity, loneliness, delusion.” (Camelia Ciobanu, Central and Eastern European London Review, 2015)
“Freak Show este acel gen de spectacol pe care îți dorești să îl revezi pentru că nu te poți sătura de savoarea interpretării și de artificiile regizorale” – Mirela Cara

Romanian Film Festival Seattle- 6th Edition
2019-11-15 19:00 - 2019-11-18 22:00 | SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109
STORIES OFF THE WALLJoin us in celebrating 30 years since the Fall of the Berlin Wall! The 6th edition of the Romanian Film Festival, entitled "One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying: Stories OFF the Wall", brings you Romanian and Eastern European cinema echoing the political, economic and existential dilemmas that have reshaped Europe in the aftermath of the Cold War. Bounced OFF a wall that divided families, generations and nations, these stories harness the unifying power of film to create new bridges, in a universal quest for shared meaning. We have made history together: from one of the smallest venues in town with 93 seats (in 2014), we have upgraded the festival to the largest auditoriums @ SIFF CINEMA Uptown with 275 seats (between 2015-2018). From about 750 viewers attending the first edition, we have been reaching approximately 2,300 people every year. From an ethnic film festival, we have succeeded in creating an authentic Seattle experience where people of all backgrounds watch internationally acclaimed films, learn something about Romanian heritage, laugh and cry together, proving that the festival has earned its title "One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying" Let us know if you would like to become our ARCS Official Festival Partner ($5,000 & $ 10,000), a Festival Sponsor or Ambassador ($500 & $1000 +). In case you decide to support our project and fundraising endeavors, ARCS will acknowledge your contribution on all promotional materials – website, Social Media, festival booklet, poster, flyers, and before each screening. etc. We are flexible and willing to create the sponsorship package that fits best your needs and budget. DO NOT MISS this one of a kind opportunity to gain more visibility, grow, have an impact, and let your community know that you care and belong!

Observing the Romanian Revolution: Some Personal Reflections

WhenOct. 29, 2019 at 01:30 PM - 29 Oct. 2019 at 03:00 PM

WhereUniversity of Washington, Room Th 317

The Romanian revolution was for me, my own personal revolution. It brought me – to use Andy Warhol’s expression - my ‘fifteen minutes of fame’ for it catapulted me and Romanian studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies of the University of London, into the British public eye. This lecture is based on my experience of the 1989 revolution as a consultant to the BBC at the time, an experience that included visual and audio monitoring of events in Romania in London between 14 December 1989 and 10 January 1990.
As 'anchor' in London I had access to the reports from the major international news agencies as they came through to the BBC on a teleprinter, as well as to television 'feeds' from camera crews from thirty-six international TV companies dispersed around Romania. Among them were stations from the USSR, Libya, France, West Germany, Hungary, and Britain. I was thus indirect witness to the meetings convoked on 22 December in the central squares of the cities and major towns of Romania – Bucharest, Timișoara, Pitești, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Arad, Bacău, Constanța, Suceava - ostensibly to show support for Ceaușescu, and to filmed events that followed.
After arriving in Bucharest on 31 December, I accompanied three teams of BBC reporters and cameramen throughout the city, translating interviews carried out by the team with Ion Iliescu, Silviu Brucan, Ion Caramitru, Mircea Dinescu, and many other significant actors in the aftermath of Ceaușescu’s overthrow. The latter included a one-to-one meeting with General Victor Stanculescu. My reflections are based in part on this direct contact." Moon Hotel Kabul by Anca Damian2018, Drama, 100 minutesWhenNov. 15, 2019 at 07:00 PM - 15 Nov. 2019 at 08:55 PM Synopsis Ivan Semciuc (played by Florin Piersic Jr.) is a cynical investigative journalist. He is skillfully combining truth and fiction in his reports. Then comes a day when something similar occurs in his own life: at the end of a mission in Kabul, he has a one night stand with Ioana, the translator. The event is seemingly meaningless, but the next day, back to Bucharest, Ivan finds out that Ioana died with her wrists cut. The unshakable routine of his personal life enters a profound revolution, as Ioana is haunting him, more present in her death then she was during life. The film is raising questions about truth, love and the price we decide to pay for them. Winner of The Best Director Warsaw International Film Festival 2018. Romanian Role Models: ARCS Summer Camp Shorts by Iulia Rugină2019, Shorts, 45 minutes WhenNov. 16, 2019 at 09:30 AM - 16 Nov. 2019 at 11:30 AM Synopsis These shorts were made by Romanian American students during ARCS Summer Camp (2nd edition) hosted by Ellison Center at University of Washington, under the instruction of director Iulia Rugină and actress Ioana Flora. Every group received a prompt for their short, related to four Romanian role models: Nadia Comăneci, Queen Marie, George Enescu and Constantin Brâncusi. Making of by Adriana Guiman. A Distance by Teodora Totoiu2018, Drama, 26 minutesWhenNov. 16, 2019 at 09:30 AM - 16 Nov. 2019 at 11:30 AMSynopsisThree Romanian women reunite on a farm in Transylvania and struggle to reconnect while mourning the death of a loved one. This is a tale about identity, roots, and transgenerational dialogue. The Call by Anca Damian2018, Animation, 10 minutesWhenNov. 16, 2019 at 09:30 AM - 16 Nov. 2019 at 11:30 AM SynopsisAn aged woman is taking a bath. While entering the water, a new world reveals. The phone, on a chair, connects her with her son and is the only link to the real world. Winner of Best Short Film, Edinburgh International Film Festival 2019, and the Jury Prize, Hong Kong International Film Festival, 2019. My Father's Shoes / Opinci by Anton and Damian Groves2019, Animation, 18 minutesWhenNov. 16, 2019 at 09:30 AM - 16 Nov. 2019 at 11:30 AM SynopsisA film based on a true story about a record breaking globetrotter and single father, Dan Dumitru, who attempts to explain death, courage and the absence of her mother to his young daughter, Steliana. Winner of Best Short Film, Transilvania International Film Festival, 2019. Toto and His Sisters by Alexandru Nanau2014, documentary, 94 minutesWhenNov. 16, 2019 at 11:50 AM - 16 Nov. 2019 at 01:35 PM SynopsisThis multi award-winning documentary tells us the story of Toto (10) and his sisters Ana (17) and Andreea (15) who conquer life on their own during their mother's imprisonment. Toto passionately learns dancing, reading and writing, while his sisters try to keep the family together in a world that has long forgotten what the innocence of childhood should be. What happens when we discover that we can get more from life than our parents have to offer? Toto Horvat’s story tells us about the importance of art and education in shaping the future generations and empowering our youth to be change makers, against all odds. Toto came to Seattle for the 2ndedition of ARCS Summer Camp for Romanian heritage students, hosted on UW Campus. His internship was sponsored by the UiPath Foundation, whose executive director Raluca Negulescu-Balaci will attend the screening and Q& A session to lead a debate about inspiring models of social change. Q&A and Debate: Dismantling Walls in Our SocietiesWhenNov. 16, 2019 at 01:30 PM - 16 Nov. 2019 at 02:30 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown WhatPanelists: Akila Somasegar (Philantropist, GirlUp, Seattle); Magda Matache (Instructor and Director of the Roma Program, Harvard University), Cristiana Grigore (Founder Roma Peoples Project, Columbia University), Raluca Negulescu-Balaci (Executive Director, UiPath Foundation); and Pulitzer Prize winner for journalism Jacqui Banaszynsk. The debate will follow the screening of the social documentary Toto and his sisters (dir Alexandru Nanau) and aims to shed light on the unseen potential of children struggling with inequality, as well as the challenges they encounter navigating social stigma and economic marginalization. We will explore and share a significant number of perspectives and impactful ways that can tackle poverty for children around the world, with a focus on Romania, India and the US. Looking at the accelerated pace of change of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we will discuss the role of technology in empowering underprivileged children to become agents of social progress and advancement. About UiPath Foundation Founded by UiPath in January 2019, UiPath Foundation is an independent non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious organization, that aims to empower underprivileged children to reach their potential and thrive together with their communities through equal access to education. More details: https://www.uipath.com/company/foundation The Father by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov2019, Comedy/Drama, 87 minutesWhenNov. 16, 2019 at 02:55 PM - 16 Nov. 2019 at 04:15 PM SynopsisA day after Valentina’s passing, her bereaved husband Vassil and son Pavel discover that she persistently keeps trying to call the neighbor on the phone. A sucker for the supernatural, Vassil sets out on a trip to meet a famous medium, forcing his estranged son Pavel to tag along and make sure his nutty old dad stays out of harm’s way. The unhinged journey that follows helps them face the guilt they feel towards the one they have lost, and rediscover their relationship to each other. Winner of the Crystal Globe, Karlovy Vary Czech Film Festival, 2019. The Distance Between Me and Me by Mona Nicoară2018, documentary, 89 minutesWhenNov. 16, 2019 at 04:45 PM - 16 Nov. 2019 at 06:10 PM SynopsisWe all wrestle with our past. Some more than others. Romanian Jewish avant-garde poet, musician, visual artist, femme fatale, prodigious drinker and terminal smoker Nina Cassian had more than most to wrestle with: her refuge in the Communist underground during the Fascist 1940s put her first in complicit proximity to the Stalinist regime of the 1950s, then propelled her on a collision course with the Ceaușescu regime in the 1970s, and eventually sent her into an unwanted New York exile in 1985, when her samizdat poems led to a secret police murder. An intensely personal film about art, belief, and politics, The Distance Between Me and Me looks at the friction between individual memory and official archives, between our present reality and the narratives we construct about our former selves by setting Nina’s words during her last year of life against a rich archive of films, music, poems, official television appearances, never-before-seen private recordings, and secret police surveillance materials. The Whistlers/La Gomera by Corneliu Porumboiu2019, drama, 97 minutesWhenNov. 16, 2019 at 07:00 PM - 16 Nov. 2019 at 08:32 PM SynopsisIn The Whistlers, not everything is as it seems for Cristi, a police inspector in Bucharest who plays both sides of the law. Embarking with the beautiful Gilda on a high-stakes heist, both will have to navigate the twists and turns of corruption, treachery and deception. A trip to the Canary Islands to learn a secret whistling language might just be what they need to pull it off. The film was nominated for Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2019, and is Romania’s proposal for the 2020 Oscars. That Trip We Took with Dad by Anca Miruna Lăzărescu2016, comedy drama, 111 minutesWhenNov. 17, 2019 at 12:10 PM - 17 Nov. 2019 at 02:05 PM SynopsisThe turbulent year of 1968 and the “Prague Spring” set the scene for the moving story of this film. A Romanian German family living in the heart of Transylvania starts a journey to the German Democratic Republic. Two brothers with very different personalities take their weary father to have surgery abroad, which they hope would help restore the family’s lost harmony. Caught in the middle of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and closed in by the Soviet tanks, the men suddenly find themselves in West-Germany. How much sacrifice can they take until they can return back home to the rest of their family? Winner of 8 international prizes, including Federico Fellini Award, Tiburon International Film Festival, 2017. Donbass by Sergey Loznitsa2018, Drama, 122 minutesWhenNov. 17, 2019 at 02:25 PM - 17 Nov. 2019 at 04:50 PM SynopsisIn the Donbass, a region of Eastern Ukraine, a hybrid war takes place, involving an open armed conflict alongside killings and robberies on a mass scale perpetrated by separatist gangs. War is called peace, propaganda is uttered as truth, and hatred is declared to be love. A journey through the region unfolds as a chain of curious adventures, where the grotesque and dramatic are as intertwined as life and death. This is not a tale of one region, one country, or one political system. It is about a world lost in post-truth and fake identities. It is about each and every one of us. Winner of 9 international prizes, including Un Certain Regard, Cannes, 2018. One More One Less/Plus Minus Unu by Ion Borsh2018, Drama, 28 minutesWhenNov. 17, 2019 at 05:10 PM - 17 Nov. 2019 at 06:50 PM SynopsisThis film tells the story of a resident doctor who discovers a case of malpractice committed by a more experienced colleague. He decides to fight against a lawless system and take a risk that may mean losing his job. Paparuda by Lucia Lupu2015, Drama, 15 minutes WhenNov. 17, 2019 at 05:10 PM - 17 Nov. 2019 at 06:50 PM SynopsisIn a village hit by drought, Dumitru starts a quest for water. Ioana, the girl who accompanies him in this pursuit, is a silent witness of baseness of people that appear on their road. Instead of this human aridness, Dumitru finds water in the place he least expected. When Saturn Returns by Mihai Bruma2018, Drama, 17 minutesWhenNov. 17, 2019 at 05:10 PM - 17 Nov. 2019 at 06:50 PM SynopsisWhile working in a store Radu raps to himself, preparing for that night's concert. Everything would have gone smoothly if it were not for the girl he saw; recognizing her after 16 years -- his first love. Billion/Miliard by Evgheni Dudceac2017, Adventure/Comedy, 21 minutesWhenNov. 17, 2019 at 05:10 PM - 17 Nov. 2019 at 06:50 PM SynopsisAn allegory of the great Moldovan bank robbery -- in 2015, $1 billion has vanished from three of Moldova’s national banks, a mystery that has thrown the already struggling country into an even deeper crisis. The Escape by Andrei Gruzsnickzki2013, Drama, 107 minutesWhenNov. 17, 2019 at 07:10 PM - 17 Nov. 2019 at 09:15 PM SynopsisRomania, 1984. The decision of a mathematician to publish a paper in a journal of an American university, without asking the permission of the communist authorities, will trigger a chain of events that will change the lives of those around him. After all, there are no decisions without consequences. Florin Piersic Jr. plays the Securitate detective who investigates the case. He received the Best Actor of the Year (Gopo Awards) for his brilliant interpretation. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Rome Film Fest in 2013. The Christmas Gift by Bogdan Mureșan2018, Drama/History, 23 minutesWhenNov. 17, 2019 at 07:10 PM - 17 Nov. 2019 at 09:15 PM SynopsisOn the 20th of December, 1989, a few days after Ceausescu's bloody repression in Timisoara, a father’s quiet evening turns to sheer ordeal as he finds out that his young son has mailed a wish list to Santa requesting a present for his father -- his desire to see Ceausescu dead. Winner of numerous prizes, including Best of Fest & Jury Award, Palm Springs International ShortFest, 2019, and Grand Prix, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, 2019. Freak Show by Florin Piersic Jr2019, one-man show, 120 minutesWhenNov. 18, 2019 at 07:30 PM - 18 Nov. 2019 at 09:30 PM WhereKirkland Performance Center SynopsisPerformed by one of Romania’s most prominent and prolific young actors, Freak Show brings to life characters depicting the tragi-comic transition from communism to democracy. EVENT IN ROMANIAN. Freak Show, written, directed and performed by Florin Piersic Jr, is a dynamic tour de force that keeps the audience with bated breath for almost two hours. Florin Piersic Jr plays 13 characters (a fake billionaire, worker, banker, retiree, TV producer, professor, beggar, among others). You will watch a versatile actor who continuously changes parts in a hallucinatory chain of transformations. GuestsFlorin Piersic Jr.Born in 1968, Florin Piersic Jr. is a Romanian actor, director and writer. He translated, directed and performed in "Dice and Cards" by Sam Henry Kass, "Opposites Attract" by Bruce Kane, "Tom and Jerry" by Rick Cleveland, "Sex Drugs Rock and Roll", by Eric Bogosian, "Brothers!" by Dave Williams. In 2013, he wrote and produced the one-man-show entitled "Freak Show".

His performance (13 characters) has been acclaimed both by the public and the critics. Florin Piersic Jr. is the author of the novel "Romantic Porno" (2011), as well as of the collection of short stories entitled "Complete Works - Volume One" (2009) and "Complete Works - Volume Two" (2015).

Currently, Florin Piersic Jr. is working on the feature film called "Nothing About Love", written and directed by himself. Florin Piersic Jr. has received numerous prestigious awards, the most recent including the Best Actor of the Year for "The Escape" in 2015 at Gopo Awards; the Jury's Prize (for "Freak Show") at Festco Comedy Festival, Bucharest in 2014, the Best Experimental Movie ( for "Killing Time") at UCIN (Romanian Cinematographers' Union) in 2013.

Florin Piersic Jr. plays the lead part in Comrade Detective, an American buddy cop series created by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka released on Amazon Video in 2017.

http://www.piersicjr.com

For the Romanian-speaking audience, Florin will perform a one-man show Freak Show on November 18, at Kirkland Performance Center at 7:30pm. For tickets and information: http://www.kpcenter.org/event/freak-show/ Mona NicoarăMona Nicoară is a filmmaker, curator, writer, and educator. She started working in film in 1997 as an Associate Producer for Children Underground, which received the Special Jury Prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary. Her directorial debut, Our School, premiered in the US at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, went on to over 70 festivals worldwide, was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best US Feature at AFI SilverDocs. Her latest film, The Distance between Me and Me, received the audience award at Films de Cannes à Bucarest, screened at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Trieste, and is currently distributed in cinemas in Romania. Nicoară also works as a festival programmer, and has been teaching film, writing, and literature at Columbia University, the Cooper Union, New York University, and Rutgers. Her writings have been published in The Guardian, Decât o revistă, Dilema, and Scena 9, among others.

www.monanicoara.com

Teodora TotoiuTeodora Totoiu is a Romanian-American cinematographer based in Seattle. Her background in anthropology and photography inspires her creative approach when shooting scripted narrative and documentary film. With a passion for visual storytelling, she enjoys collaborating and working creatively to echo each director's vision through texture and movement that best supports story. Her recent work includes "Waterschool" (2017), which is currently streaming on Netflix, "Francesco" (2020) directed by Academy Award-nominated Evgeny Afineevsky and most recently, "Lady Cameraman" (2020) which premiered at EnergaCAMERIMAGE in November 2020. Her work spans internationally with projects in Brazil, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Austria, Romania, Uganda, India, China and across the U.S.

Ion BorshIon Borsh was born in 1990 in Chisinau, Moldova. He graduated Acting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Chisinau, in 2013. ”Plus Minus One” is his debut short film as a director. He starred in ”What a Wonderful World”, ”Beautiful Corruption”, ”Salix Caprea” and ”Opus Nocturn 2”, also he was 1stAD in the short movie ”Now”.

Director Statement

"Through the movie Plus Minus One I want to show the situation of the medical system in my country, the attitude of the medical staff towards their patients, and the conditions imposed on the young resident doctors who try to fight against a corrupted system. The storyline is based on real facts, situations that most of us have had to deal with. The characters resemble us, our confrontation, on a daily basis, with the acute problems of our society. Our national cinematography should reflect more on these matters in order to create social change and put an end to corruption". Monica FilimonMonica Filimon was awarded a PhD in Comparative Literature by Rutgers University. She is Associate Professor of English at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY. She has published articles on French, German, and Romanian films. Her research focuses on the New Romanian Cinema, its sources, evolution, and major representatives. Her first book Cristi Puiu: Ineffable Experiences of the Profane World was published by the University of Illinois Press in February 2017. She is currently working on a second book tentatively titled Corneliu Porumboiu: Notes on the Absurd. Raluca Negulescu-Balaci Raluca Negulescu-Balaci is the Executive Director of UiPath Foundation, a global non-profit organization, founded by UiPath in January 2019, to empower underprivileged children from Romania and India to reach their potential through equal access to quality education. Previously, Raluca coordinated comprehensive educational programs under the umbrella of the Policy Center for Roma and Minorities for 9 years. In 2007, she worked as a Junior Consultant in a World Bank-supported national program, focused on enabling 250 disadvantaged communities in Romania to keep up with fast-technological challenges. In 2013, Raluca was a Legislative Fellow in the US Department of State professional program “Building grassroots democracy in minority communities” and she received the Annual Human Rights Award of the Embassy of France in Romania, for her local women empowerment initiative – Mothers' Club. Raluca is a fellow of Aspen Institute Romania’s Young Leaders Program and a member of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. Akila SomasegarAkila Somasegar is a finance professional and a philanthropist, with a specific interest in empowering women and children. She manages her family foundation through which she drives her philanthropic activities, both in the US and in several developing countries. In 2014, she was chosen to be an advisory board member for the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up initiative for educating and empowering the girls around the world. The “Girl Up” initiative currently has investment projects in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Malawi, Liberia, India and Uganda. Akila launched Girl Up in Sri Lanka with the help of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Children’s welfare and Sri Lankan ministry of Education. A nationwide launch was held in Colombo in October of 2015. Akila Somasegar is also a Board Director for YWCA Seattle|King|Snohomish and Bellevue Life Spring. Margareta (Magda) MatacheMargareta (Magda) Matache is a Roma rights activist and scholar from Romania, director of the Roma Program at Harvard FXB, and also a Harvard instructor. From 2005 to 2012, Margareta Matache was the Executive Director of Romani CRISS, a leading Roma rights organization that defends the rights of Roma. In 2012 she was awarded a Hauser postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard FXB where she founded the Roma Program. In Spring 2017 she co-edited Realizing Roma Rights, an investigation of anti-Roma racism, with the goal to set the foundations for a more inclusive Europe. Her other publications and research have ranged from the rights and agency of Romani children and adolescents to early childhood development, anti-Roma racism, reparations, segregation in education, and participatory action research. Cristiana GrigoreCristiana Grigore is a writer, research scholar and the founder of the Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University, an initiative that spotlights Roma peoples and expands Roma studies by examining topics such as identity and stigma, mobility and displacement. Herself a Roma—a member of Europe's largest minority with approximately one million Roma living in the US— she has firsthand experience with internalized stigma and concealing one's ethnicity.

Upon arriving in the United States in 2006, Cristiana found a more conducive environment in which to express her Roma identity. She is writing a book that explores how her immersion in American culture enabled her to grapple more fully with her Roma/Gypsy ethnicity. Her writing was published by the New York Times and she writes periodic op-eds for Newsweek and other media channels. Her work has been featured by Vogue, CNN, Al Jazeera America, PRI, and Voice of America, among other outlets.

A Fulbright Scholar from Romania, Cristiana graduated from Vanderbilt University with an MA in International Education Policy and Management in December 2012. She earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Bucharest in 2007. Most recently she is part of an advisory group for the National Gallery of Art on a topic related to Roma in the Arts.

Jacqui BanaszynskiAward-winning journalist Jacqui Banaszynski is an emerita professor at the Missouri School of Journalism and faculty fellow at the world-renowned Poynter Institute. She serves as editor of Nieman Storyboard, a global website which celebrates and examines the art and craft of narrative journalism.

Banaszynski’s newspaper career took her to all seven continents, including three trips to Antarctica. She has written about corruption and crime, beauty pageants and popes, AIDS and the Olympics, dogsled expeditions and refugee camps, labor strikes and political strife, traffic fatalities and family tragedies. While at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, her series “AIDS in the Heartland” won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize in feature writing. She was a finalist for the 1986 Pulitzer in international reporting for coverage of the Ethiopian famine and won the nation’s top deadline sports reporting award for coverage of the 1988 Olympics.

Banaszynski has edited numerous award-winning projects, including projects that won ASNE Best Writing, Ernie Pyle Human Interest Writing and national business and investigative prizes. In 2008, she was named to the Association of Sunday and Features Editors Features Hall of Fame. She now coaches reporters, writers and storytellers in newsrooms and at workshops around the world.

Romanian Literature, Art, And Film Course
2019-09-25 - 2019-12-06 | University of Washington, 1410 NE Campus Pkwy, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
Initiated by two dedicated scholars, Otilia Baraboi and Ileana Marin, Romania Transformed is funded by the American Romanian Cultural Society. The tuition fees from the Romanian in the High School program and part of the campaign for the Romanian Film Festival, alongside private donors, make this course possible. Thank you, we could not have done without your support!
Course Description: Romanian Literature, Art, And Film: One Century Of Cultural Transformations
Situated at the border between the East and West, Romania embodies the co-existence of cultural paradoxes informing major artistic trends and ideologies during the last 100 years. The course investigates the roots of surrealism, dadaism, theatre of the absurd, as well as practices of resistance against totalitarian regimes, and women’s roles in forging a new democratic society. The students will learn about New Romanian Cinema and will have the unique possibility to attend the 6th edition of the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle at SIFF Cinema Uptown (November 15-17) and meet with Romanian film directors and actors. Taught in English, no knowledge of Romanian is required.
Otilia Baraboi, Ph.D.
otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org

Before coming to Seattle in 2000 from Romania, Otilia worked as a literary journalist and published short-fiction, translations and articles. She holds university degrees in French and English literatures from Romania, Switzerland, and the US. She has a Ph.D. on the politics of translation from the University of Washington, where she taught French language and literature for 17 years, and where she is currently co-teaching a course on Romanian literature and film. In 2013, she co-founded ARCS and was President of the Board for five years before becoming ARCS’ first Executive Director. For Otilia, ARCS has been a wonderful opportunity to remain connected with the vibrant culture of her birthplace, while contributing to the artistic and cultural vitality of the Pacific Northwest. As part of her work, Otilia has been managing the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle and ARCS community-based school for Romanian heritage students, as well as more than 300 cultural and educational events over the past 9 years. Her priorities are to create sustainable, community-building programs and partnerships, as well as develop ARCS’ brand identity in accordance with its mission and values. Most of all, Otilia hopes that her work will have a direct, long-lasting impact on the ways in which future generations will define, celebrate and pass on their heritage. Otilia is also the President of the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest and a board member of Romanian United Fund.

ARCS Summer Camp 2019 - ROMANIAN ROLE MODELS
2019-07-15 - 2019-07-26
American Romanians, find your Hollywood vision of Romania! Become a movie star, a screenwriter, a director, cinematographer, editor, producer and present your film to the world!
Be the star of your own story of discovery! You will act in film scenes, design your set and costumes, shoot your story like a pro and learn basic acting, script-writing, directing and filmmaking skills. You will learn about Romanian super-heroes who changed world history with their courage, vision and talent, such as Queen Marie of Romania, Ana Aslan, Geta Brătescu, Henri Coandă, Petrache Poenaru, Constantin Brâncuși and many others.
We are inviting you to join us on an amazing field trip to Maryhill Museum, the only museum dedicated to Queen Marie’s visit to the Pacific Northwest in 1927. The field trip will take place on Saturday, July 20. A guided visit and fun activities will help you discover the Queen Marie collection! The field trip is optional and the cost is not included in ARCS Summer Camp fee.
If the film industry makes you dream, this is an ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME opportunity to work closely with Romanian specialists in the field, award-winning actress Ioana Flora and director Iulia Rugină. As an exciting addition to our program, this year you will have access to Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) editing lab and staff, who will join ARCS team to help you finalize your films. And most of all, you’ll HAVE GREAT FUN and make new friends! EMBRACE your identity, LET the world know about YOUR story as a Romanian American, BE a source of inspiration for all the children with bilingual and bicultural heritage!
Your entire family will come together at the end of the camp to watch your films on the big screen and celebrate your talent! Your films will be present at the 6th edition of the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle!
Who It’s For
We welcome Romanian speaking children and youth between the ages of 8-12, willing to attend different activities for 4 hours a day, for a total of 10 days with a weekend break. (Course limit: 20 students
Memories from ARCS Summer Camp 1st Edition
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We need volunteers to help us coordinate our the following SUMMER CAMP activities:

Logistics:

Help with the sign-in & sign-out sheets and contracts
Help out during class time
Help out setting up and cleaning up the facility
Bring drinks and snacks
Help organize the final screening and celebration

Photography:

Take pictures
Edit Pictures

You can email Otilia Baraboi at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org if you have specific questions or register online if you would like to volunteer (deadline June 15).
Registration Form

Readings from the Heart of Europe
2019-05-18 17:30 - 18:30 | University of Washington, 1410 NE Campus Pkwy, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
"In the deeps are the violence and terror of which psychology has warned us. But if you ride these monsters deeper down, if you drop with them farther over the world's rim, you find what our sciences cannot locate or name, the substrate, the ocean or matrix or ether which buoys the rest, which gives goodness its power for good, and evil its power for evil, the unified field: our complex and inexplicable caring for each other." – Annie Dillard, "Teaching a Stone to Talk." We are thrilled to share the news about Readings from the Heart of Europe, a group initiated by various scholars from the University of Washington and representatives from the local Central and Eastern European community, including ARCS. Our first meeting was on May 18, 2019 when we discussed the master work of a Romanian Jewish author, Max Blecher. You can read our blog here. More About Readings from the Heart of EuropeWHAT?Conceived of by a Seattle-based group of avid readers deeply convinced of the value that literature – storytelling – can bring to our lives, Readings from the Heart of Europe proposes to focus on texts of the highest quality, even if they are not (yet) widely recognized as such in our overwhelmingly Anglo-American-centered society. Each month’s text will be available in a published English translation. The texts featured in Readings from the Heart of Europe are drawn from the among the greatest 20th and 21st-century masterpieces of Austria, Belarus, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. WHY?In a world of ever-proliferating, ever-accelerating, artificially driven mass distraction, individuals are at heightened risk of losing their center. Reading from the Heart of Europe invites you to join other adventuresome readers in an ongoing series of monthly readings and discussions in which we propose to explore great works of imaginative literature whose unifying purpose is to strengthen that center. As revitalizing as a strenuous workout, more outwardly directed than meditation, and as deeply satisfying as a reunion with a wise and benevolent old friend, encounters with these exceptional books can change and shape lives. These books and their writers present few illusions. Throughout the 20th century their societies endured the catastrophic consequences of ideologies of the right and the left, emanating from West and East – whether of ethnic and national tribalism or egalitarianism at gunpoint. Now, in the 21st century, new and resurgent economic and religious dogmas add new layers of rigidity and polarization for the uncertain to cling to. What better guides to consult now than the testimonies of some of the world’s most exceptional writers, whose lived experience has given them immunity to ideologies of any stripe, and whose work explores the spectrum of human experience with striking immediacy. WHEN?As the pandemics takes over our social lives, we will find inspiration and build new friendships online. We will meet on zoom generally on Saturday afternoons or Sunday mornings. Past eventsMondegreen by Volodymyr RafeyenkoFeb. 26, 2023 at 05:00 PM (online)Registerhere. Join us for a discussion of Mondegreen by Volodymyr Rafeyenko, translated by Mark Andryczyk.Buy the book here.
The novel tells the story of Haba Habinsky, a refugee from Ukraine’s Donbas region, who has escaped to the capital city of Kyiv at the...
The novel tells the story of Haba Habinsky, a refugee from Ukraine’s Donbas region, who has escaped to the capital city of Kyiv at the onset of the Ukrainian-Russian war. His physical dislocation—and his subsequent willful adoption of the Ukrainian language—place the protagonist in a state of disorientation during which he is forced to challenge his convictions. Written in a beautiful, experimental style, the novel shows how people—and cities—are capable of radical transformation and how this, in turn, affects their interpersonal relations and cultural identification.
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Bessarabian Stamps: Stories by Oleg WoolfSept. 25, 2022 at 05:00 PM (online)Register here. Join us for a discussion of Bessarabian Stamps: Stories by Oleg Woolf and translated from the Russian, by Boris Dralyuk, Phoneme Media, 2015.Buy the book here.
Reminiscent of Bruno Schulz’s Street of Crocodiles, Oleg Woolf’s Bessarabian Stamps — a cycle of sixteen stories set mostly in the village of Sănduleni, in the Republic of...
Reminiscent of Bruno Schulz’s Street of Crocodiles, Oleg Woolf’s Bessarabian Stamps — a cycle of sixteen stories set mostly in the village of Sănduleni, in the Republic of Moldova— is a vivid, surreal evocation of a liminal world. Sănduleni’s denizens are in permanent flux, forever shifting languages, cultures, and states, in every sense of the word. With a warm, Bessarabian irony recalling one of Eastern Europe’s long-forgotten regions, the Stampsexplore what it means to live on the edges of empires, which rise and fall while Sănduleni abides.
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Where You Come From by Saša StanišićMay 22, 2022 at 05:00 PM (online)Register here. Join us for a discussion about Saša Stanišić's latest book, Where You Come From, translated by Damion Searls, Tin House, 2021.Buy the book here. "Inventive, funny and moving. . . . Damion Searls’s translation does justice to Stanišic’s dry wit and linguistic playfulness, and captures the tense undercurrents building throughout the book". —The New York Times Book Review Winner of the 2019 German Book Prize About the Author: Saša Stanišic was born in Višegrad (Yugoslavia) in 1978 and has lived in Germany since 1992. His debut novel, How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone, was translated into thirty-one languages; Before the Feast was a bestseller and won the renowned Leipzig Book Fair Prize. The Same Night Awaits Us All by Hristo KarastoyanovApril 24, 2022 at 11:00 AM (online)Register here.Join us for a discussion with special guest Hristo Karastoyanov, author of The Same Night Awaits Us All, translated from the Bulgarian by Izidora Angel, Open Letter Books 2018. Buy the book here. “Karastoyanov’s novel is set in Bulgaria in the 1920s, but also invokes the spirit of John Lennon, and brings to mind Dostoevsky’s Demons with its anarchists and assassins, lighthouses, zeppelins, and synthesis of modernist narrative techniques and Balkan storytelling.” —Berliner Zeitung Winner of the 2014 Helikon Award for Bulgarian Novel of the Year Prize About the Author: Hristo Karastoyanov is a multi-award winning contemporary Bulgarian novelist, playwright, and political essayist whose work has been translated into English, Turkish, and German. All seven of his novels have been shortlisted for the prestigious Helikon Award. The Orphanage by Serhiy ZhadanMarch 27, 2022 at 05:00 PM (online)Register here. Our March reading honors the work of one of Ukraine’s most successful novelists and poets, Serhiy Zhadan. Buy the book here. The Orphanage (Internat), originally published in 2017, is Zhadan's highly acclaimed war novel, depicting life in an unspecified frontline region in the early periods of the war in Donbas, telling the story of ordinary lives during the most dangerous days in Europe’s recent history. Chosen as one of “Six Books to Read for Context on Ukraine” by the New York Times Selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the “20 Best Books of 2021” “A nightmarish, raw vision of contemporary eastern Ukraine under siege. . . . With a poet’s sense of lyricism . . . [Zhadan] unblinkingly reveals a country’s devastation and its people’s passionate determination to survive.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review Soviet Milk by Nora IkstenaFeb. 27, 2022 at 05:00 PM (online)Register here. Join us to discuss Soviet Milk written by Nora Ikstena and translated from the Latvian by Margita Gailitis, Peirene Press, 2019. Buy the book here.
This novel considers the effects of Soviet rule on a single individual. The central character in the story tries to follow her calling as a...
This novel considers the effects of Soviet rule on a single individual. The central character in the story tries to follow her calling as a doctor. But then the state steps in. She is deprived first of her professional future, then of her identity and finally of her relationship with her daughter. Banished to a village in the Latvian countryside, her sense of isolation increases. Will she and her daughter be able to return to Riga when political change begins to stir?
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The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus KivirähkJan. 30, 2022 at 05:00 (online)Register here: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95068638451Join us for our first meeting in 2022! We will discuss Andrus Kivirähk's The Man Who Spoke Snakish (translated into English by Christopher Moseley), with special guest Professor Guntis Šmidchens, director of UW's Baltic Studies Program. Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Spoke-Snakish/dp/0802124127/ About the book:A best seller in the author's native country of Estonia, where the book is so well known that a popular board game has been created based on it, The Man Who Spoke Snakish is the imaginative and moving story of a boy who is tasked with preserving ancient traditions in the face of modernity. Set in a fantastical version of medieval Estonia, The Man Who Spoke Snakish follows a young boy, Leemet, who lives with his hunter-gatherer family in the forest and is the last speaker of the ancient tongue of snakish, a language that allows its speakers to command all animals. But the forest is gradually emptying as more and more people leave to settle in villages, where they break their backs tilling the land to grow wheat for their "bread" (which Leemet has been told tastes horrible) and where they pray to a god very different from the spirits worshipped in the forest's sacred grove. With lothario bears who wordlessly seduce women, a giant louse with a penchant for swimming, a legendary flying frog, and a young charismatic viper named Ints, The Man Who Spoke Snakish is a totally inventive novel for listeners of David Mitchell, Sjón, and Terry Pratchett. When the Birches Leaf Out Up There by Breda SmolnikarDec. 12, 2021 at 11:00 AM (online)Register Here. Join us for our December reading, When the Birches Leaf Out Up There by Breda Smolnikar.
After you register, you can pick up a free copy of Breda Smolnikar's book When the Birches Leaf Out Up There at the University of Washington Allen Library information desk...
After you register, you can pick up a free copy of Breda Smolnikar's book When the Birches Leaf Out Up There at the University of Washington Allen Library information desk (in the ground floor lobby) weekdays through Friday, December 10, anytime between 9am and 5pm. Please give your name to the staff person at the desk to receive your free copy.
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White Shroud by Antanas ŠkėmaNov. 7, 2021 at 05:00 PM (online)Register for a zoom link Here. Join us for our November reading, White Shroud by Antanas Škėma. Widely acclaimed as Lithuania's great modernist novel, White Shroud by Antanas Škėma will be our book for discussion on Sunday, November 7, at 5:00pm Pacific time over Zoom, with our special guest Prof Violeta Kelertas (U. of Illinois-Chicago), one of America's leading experts on Lithuanian literature. E-book and print editions are available at Amazon. Or direct from the publisher, Vagabond Voices in Scotland. "A Spare Life": A Conversation with Author Lidija Dimkovska & Translator Christina E. KramerJune 27, 2021 at 10:00 AM (online)Once you register HERE by filling out this form you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings. Our next discussion will feature the novel "A Spare Life" by the Macedonian writer Lidija Dimkovska (published in Macedonian 2012; in English 2016). We are very pleased to announce that the author, Dimkovska, and the novel's translator, Christina E. Kramer, will attend as special guests. You can purchase "A Spare Life" on Amazon Please note the time for this two-hour online event:10am-12pm- Pacific Time Zone7:00pm-9:00pm- if you're logging in from a Central European Time Zone. About the author:Poet, novelist, and translator Lidija Dimkovska was born in 1971 in Skopje, Macedonia and lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia. In her native language she has published six books of poetry, three novels, and one American diary, and has edited three anthologies. Her books have been translated in more than fifteen languages. She has participated in numerous international literary festivals and has been a writer-in-residence in London, Berlin, Vienna, Graz, Salzburg, Krems, Tirana, and Split. Since 2017 she has been president of the jury for Slovenia’s Vilenica International Literary Prize. The American Poetry Review featured her work in a special supplement in 2003. In 2005 she attended the International Writing Program in Iowa, and Ugly Duckling Press published her first collection of poetry in English, Do Not Awaken Them with Hammers, in 2006. in 2012 Copper Canyon Press published her second book of poetry pH Neutral History, which was shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award, and in 2016 Two Lines Press published her novel A Spare Life, longlisted for the Best Translated Book Award. Dimkovska’s translator, Christina E. Kramer, has received a National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowship for her third novel, Grandma Non-Oui. About the translator:Christina E. Kramer is a professor emerita at the University of Toronto, Canada. She has published numerous articles relating to Balkan linguistics and Macedonian grammar (Univ. of Wisconsin Press). She has translated a number of novels, including A Spare Life by Lidija Dimkovska, Freud's Sister by Goce Smilevski, and three novels by Luan Starova My Father's Books, The Time of the Goats and The Path of the Eels. Her translation of Fear of Barbarians, by Petar Andonovski, will be published in August 2021. The Tiger's Wife by Téa ObrehtMay 23, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Join us for our May reading, The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht. Once you register by filling out this form - you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings.You can get the book HERE. About the novel:“Spectacular . . . [Téa Obreht] spins a tale of such marvel and magic in a literary voice so enchanting that the mesmerized reader wants her never to stop.”—Entertainment Weekly "Weaving a brilliant latticework of family legend, loss, and love, Téa Obreht, the youngest of The New Yorker’s twenty best American fiction writers under forty, has spun a timeless novel that will establish her as one of the most vibrant, original authors of her generation." (Amazon) Read more about the book Here. About the author: Téa Obreht was born in Belgrade, in the former Yugoslavia, and grew up in Cyprus and Egypt before eventually immigrating to the United States. Her debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife, won the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction, and was a 2011 National Book Award finalist and an international bestseller. Her work has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Non-Required Reading, and has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, The Atlantic, Vogue, Esquire and Zoetrope: All-Story, among many others. She was the recipient of the Rona Jaffe fellowship from the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, and a 2016 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She was a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree, and was named by The New Yorker as one of the twenty best American fiction writers under forty. She splits time between Wyoming and Texas, and currently serves as the Endowed Chair of Creative Writing at Texas State University in San Marcos. Chronicle in Stone, by Ismail KadareApril 25, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Once you register by filling out this form - you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings. Join us for our April reading, Chronicle in Stone, by Ismail Kadare from Albania. You can get the book HERE. About the novel:"Masterful in its simplicity, Chronicle in Stone is a touching coming-of-age story and a testament to the perseverance of the human spirit. Surrounded by the magic of beautiful women and literature, a boy must endure the deprivations of war as he suffers the hardships of growing up. His sleepy country has just thrown off centuries of tyranny, but new waves of domination inundate his city. Through the boy’s eyes, we see the terrors of World War II as he witnesses fascist invasions, allied bombings, partisan infighting, and the many faces of human cruelty—as well as the simple pleasures of life. Evacuating to the countryside, he expects to find an ideal world full of extraordinary things, but discovers instead an archaic backwater where a severed arm becomes a talisman and deflowered girls mysteriously vanish. Woven between the chapters of the boy’s story are tantalizing fragments of the city’s history. As the devastation mounts, the fragments lose coherence, and we perceive firsthand how the violence of war destroys more than just buildings and bridges." (Amazon) Read more about the author at this link. S.: A Novel about the Balkans, by Slavenka DrakulićMarch 28, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Join us for our March reading, Slavenka Drakulić's "S.: A Novel about the Balkans".Once you register by filling out this form - you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings:https://forms.gle/oJgxYmbFkpQoF9aa8Where you can get the book:https://www.amazon.com/S-Slavenka-Drakulic/dp/0670890979"S. may very well be one of the strongest books about war you will ever read. . . The writing is taut, precise, and masterful." —The Philadelphia EnquirerAbout the novel:"Set in 1992, during the height of the Bosnian war, S. reveals one of the most horrifying aspects of any war: the rape and torture of civilian women by occupying forces. S. is the story of a Bosnian woman in exile who has just given birth to an unwanted child—one without a country, a name, a father, or a language. Its birth only reminds her of an even more grueling experience: being repeatedly raped by Serbian soldiers in the "women's room" of a prison camp. Through a series of flashbacks, S. relives the unspeakable crimes she has endured, and in telling her story—timely, strangely compelling, and ultimately about survival—depicts the darkest side of human nature during wartime. "S. may very well be one of the strongest books about war you will ever read. . . .The writing is taut, precise, and masterful." (Goodreads) Sweet Darusya by Maria MatiosFeb. 28, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Join us for our February reading, "Sweet Darusya, A Tale of Two Villages", by Maria Matios from Ukraine, with special guests, co-translators Michael M. Naydan and Olha Tytarenko. Once you register by filling out this form - you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings:https://forms.gle/oJgxYmbFkpQoF9aa8 Get the book on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Darusya-Tale.../dp/1947980939 About the novel: "Matios’s novel Sweet Darusya, initially published in Ukraine in 2003, has been read, studied, researched, and written about worldwide—mostly in academic circles. The question remains, however, why it took over a decade for its English translation to appear. In my opinion, not only the complexity of the text made it a daunting task for a skilled translator to undertake but also the challenge of communicating in another language a deeply seeded trauma of Ukraine and its people, masterfully portrayed by Matios." Natalia Cousineau, World Literature Today About our special guests:Michael NaydanHe is Woskob Family Professor of Ukrainian Studies at The Pennsylvania State University and works primarily in the fields of Ukrainian and Russian literature and literary translation. He received his BA and MA degrees from The American University and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He has published over 50 articles on literary topics and more than 80 translations in journals and anthologies. Of his more than 40 books of published and edited translations, some of his most recent include Nikolai Gumilev’s Africa (Glagoslav Publishers, 2018); Yuri Andrukhovych’s cultural and literary essays, My Final Territory: Selected Essays (University of Toronto Press, 2018); and Abram Terz’s literary essays, Strolls with Pushkin and Journey to the River Black (Columbia University Press, 2016). In 2017 he published his literary essays in Ukrainian translation in the volume, From Gogol to Andrukhovych: Selected Literary Essays (Piramida Publishers). He has also published a novel about the city of Lviv Seven Signs of the Lion (Glagoslav Publishers, 2016), which also appeared in 2017 in Marianna Prokopovych’s Ukrainian translation under the title Sim znakiv leva (Piramida Publishers). He has received numerous prizes for his translations including the George S.N. Luckyj Award in Ukrainian Literature Translation from the Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies in 2013. Olha TytarenkoShe received her BA and MA in English from Ivan Franko National University in Lviv, Ukraine, her MA from The Pennsylvania State University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto with a specialty in Russian literature. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice of Russian at the University of Nebraska. With Michael Naydan she has co-translated Iren Rozdobudko’s novel The Lost Button (Glagoslav Publishers), Abram Terz’s Strolls with Pushkin and Journey to the River Black (Columbia University Press), Maria Matios’ novel Sweet Darusya: A Tale of Two Villages, and Yuri Vynnychuk’s novel Tango of Death (the latter two with Spuyten Duyvil). Bohumil Hrabal (Czech): Mr Kafka and Other Tales from the Time of the Cult; and All My CatsJan. 31, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Join us for our first reading in 2021 on January 31. We will read two books by the Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal: Mr Kafka and Other Tales from the Time of the Cult; and All My Cats Paul Wilson, the translator of these two books will join us for the discussion. Both books can be fond on Amazon Dreams and Stones, by Magdalena Tulli with translator Bill JohnstonNov. 29, 2020 at 11:00 AM (online)Register here to receive a zoom invite. Join us for another engaging discussion of Eastern and Central European literature! We will talk about Magdalena Tulli's book "Dreams and Stones" with our special guest, translator Bill Johnston. About the book:"Dreams and Stones is a small masterpiece, one of the most extraordinary works of literature to come out of Central and Eastern Europe since the fall of communism. In sculpted, poetic prose reminiscent of Bruno Schulz, it tells the story of the emergence of a great city. In Tulli’s hands myth, metaphor, history, and narrative are combined to magical effect. Dreams and Stones is about the growth of a city, and also about all cities; at the same time it is not about cities at all, but about how worlds are created, trans- formed, and lost through words alone. A stunning debut by one of Europe’s finest new writers." (goodreads) About the translator:https://archipelagobooks.org/book_translator/johnston-bill/ You can find the book here. OR on Amazon. Blinding/Orbitor by Mircea CărtărescuAug. 30, 2020 at 11:00 AM (online) On August 30, at 11 a.m.PDT we’ll share our impressions of Blinding, by Mircea Cărtărescu, and joined by the book translator Sean Cotter.Sean Cotter's translation of Cărtărescu's Blinding was a finalist for The Best Translated Book Award in 2014. https://messybooker.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/blinding-mircea-cartarescu-translated-by-sean-cotter-best-translated-book-award-2014/The book is available as an e-book from the publisher directly:https://archipelagobooks.org/book/blinding-book-one/Or from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Blinding-Mircea-Cartarescu/dp/193574484 Newcomers: Book Two by Lojze KovačičSept. 27, 2020 at 11:00 (online) Mark your calendars and plan to join us for an engaging discussion on Lojze Kovačič’ s Newcomers: Book Two, with our special guest, translator Michael Biggins. You can get the book in different formats from Archipelago Books: https://archipelagobooks.org/book/newcomers-book-two/Or from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Newcomers-Book-Two-Lojze-Kovacic/dp/193981040X/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Michael+Biggins&qid=1597011540&s=books&sr=1-8"In this second part of the famous Slovenian writer’s autobiographical novel, the narrator details the dangers and humiliations of his boyhood living in occupied Slovenia in the Second World War. The second part of Lojze Kovačič’s autobiographical novel, considered by some to be the most important Slovenian novel of the 20th century, describes his half-German family’s life in Ljubljana during the Second World War. The young protagonist Bubi is a perpetual outsider – exiled from Switzerland in 1938, his family returns home to Ljubljana, where their half-German background makes them stick out in local society. Reeling from the loss of his home in Switzerland, and surrounded by a language he can’t quite master, Bubi confronts the challenges and humiliations of growing up in a strange environment. Narrated with uncanny naïveté, the novel flits between memories of tenderness and shocking violence as Bubi navigates friendship, family, and his burgeoning sexuality in a land under hostile occupation." (Archipelago Books) Newcomers: Book Two by Lojze KovačičSept. 27, 2020 at 11:00 (online) Mark your calendars and plan to join us for an engaging discussion on Lojze Kovačič’ s Newcomers: Book Two, with our special guest, translator Michael Biggins. You can get the book in different formats from Archipelago Books: https://archipelagobooks.org/book/newcomers-book-two/Or from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Newcomers-Book-Two-Lojze-Kovacic/dp/193981040X/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Michael+Biggins&qid=1597011540&s=books&sr=1-8"In this second part of the famous Slovenian writer’s autobiographical novel, the narrator details the dangers and humiliations of his boyhood living in occupied Slovenia in the Second World War. The second part of Lojze Kovačič’s autobiographical novel, considered by some to be the most important Slovenian novel of the 20th century, describes his half-German family’s life in Ljubljana during the Second World War. The young protagonist Bubi is a perpetual outsider – exiled from Switzerland in 1938, his family returns home to Ljubljana, where their half-German background makes them stick out in local society. Reeling from the loss of his home in Switzerland, and surrounded by a language he can’t quite master, Bubi confronts the challenges and humiliations of growing up in a strange environment. Narrated with uncanny naïveté, the novel flits between memories of tenderness and shocking violence as Bubi navigates friendship, family, and his burgeoning sexuality in a land under hostile occupation." (Archipelago Books) Fox, by Dubravka UgrešićJuly 26, 2020 at 11:00 AM (online) On July 26, at 11 a.m.PDT we’ll share our impressions of Fox, by Dubravka Ugrešić, and joined by the book translator Ellen Elias-Bursać. This book is available as an e-book from the publisher directly (Open Letter) https://www.openletterbooks.org/collections/dubravka-ugresic/products/fox Or from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Dubravka-Ugresic/dp/1940953766/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Ugresic+fox&qid=1593737396&sr=8-1 The Physics of Sorrow, by Georgi GospodinovJune 28, 2020 at 11:00 AM (online) Join us for an engaging discussion of Georgi Gospodinov's The Physics of Sorrow. We are thrilled to have his translator Angela Rodel as a special guest.You can get the e-book direct from the publisher. Here is a praiseful New Yorker review of the book. The Land of Green Plums, by Herta MüllerFeb. 8, 2020 at 04:00 PM (online) You are cordially invited to join us for our second meeting of the new year, on February 8! We will read The Land of Green Plums, by Nobel laureate Herta Müller, a Romanian-born German novelist, poet, essayist and recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature.You can find the book on Amazon or at your local store: https://www.amazon.com/Land-Green-Plums-Novel/

Uncanny Figments: Art Exhibit by Daniel Ursache
2018-11-03 20:00 - 22:00 | A/NT Gallery
For the celebration of the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle (5th edition), we are thrilled to share the work of an outstanding guest and artist, Daniel Ursache. Daniel has designed all our festival posters since the first edition and many other visual materials that have enchanted our audience. His exhibition, Uncanny Figments, will be hosted by A/NT Gallery throughout November. The Opening and Visiting the Exhibit are FREE of charge.

A/NT Gallery
November 3, 8pm
305 Harrison St,
Seattle, WA 98109

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Daniel Ursache is an illustrator, painter, printmaker and graphic designer. He was born in Romania, but has lived in Montréal since 2004. He has exhibited his work in Canada, Romania, Poland, Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany, UK and Italy.
Daniel Ursache’s Itinerary, in his own words:
born accidentally in Turnu Severin,
a Romanian city on the northern bank of the Danube
raised in Constanta, ancient Greek and then Roman colony on the Black Sea coast
explored geology in Iasi,
the former capital of the Moldavian kingdom
studied fine arts in Timisoara, briefly the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
got stranded on the island of Montreal,
in the middle of St. Lawrence river and did
his post-graduate studies there
got lost in the Great North
found his way out of Whitehorse, Yukon
after two years and returned his brushes to Montreal
still traveling…

Romanian Film Festival - 5th Edition
2018-11-02 18:00 - 2018-11-04 18:00 | SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109
The Romanian Film Festival (5th Edition): "One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying: Uncanny Worlds"November 2-4, 2018, SIFF Cinema UptownJoin us on an exploration of the blurred frontiers of reality through Romanian films, celebrating the 5th Edition of the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle. In tune with the Halloween spirit of the first week in November, take an imaginary journey to Romania, and its "Uncanny Worlds". We plan to challenge values and beliefs in relation to the unusual, unfamiliar, ineffable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, inscrutable, or the unclear, inviting you to a visual feast of mesmerizing film features and documentaries. You will find out that Romanian films, more than ever, reflect the uncanny aspects of reality, history, politics, everyday life, as well as spirituality, folklore, and traditions; in a word, the uncanny essence of human nature. We have made history together: from one of the smallest venues in town with 93 seats (in 2014), we have upgraded the festival to the largest auditoriums @ SIFF CINEMA Uptown with 275 seats (between 2015-2017). From about 750 people attending the first edition, last year we reached a record of approximately 2,300 people, including those who attended the pre and post events. From an ethnic film festival, we have succeeded in making it a Seattle festival where people of all backgrounds watch internationally acclaimed films, learn something about Romanian heritage, and laugh and cry together proving that the festival has earned its title "One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying". Let us know if you would like to become our business partner ($1,000 +) or sponsor ($500+). In case you decide to support our beautiful project and fundraising endeavors, ARCS will acknowledge your contribution on all promotional materials – website, Facebook, poster, flyers, and before each screening. DO NOT MISS this one of a kind opportunity to gain more visibility, grow, have an impact, and let your community know that you care and belong! All screenings will take place @ SIFF Cinema Uptown. The Opening Gala will take place at SIFF Film Center. Daniel Ursache's Exhibit will be @ A/NT Gallery. Please consult the map for more details. FilmsThe Wanderers, The Quest of the Demon Hunter by Dragoș Buliga2017, Drama/Horror/Thriller, 106 minutesWhenNov. 2, 2018 at 06:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2018 at 06:00 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown SynopsisThe film follows famed ghost and demon hunter Louis (Armand Assante) as he takes on a new case in modern day Romania. Hired by the mysterious heiress of the Zalesky Castle, the hardened American embarks on this adventure with an Israeli journalist (Lior Ashkenazi), two Korean reality television stars in search of sensational ghost stories, and a young, skeptical guide Sorana (Raluca Aprodu). As he starts hunting the evil lurking in plain daylight in the frightened community around the Transylvanian castle, Louis faces one of the biggest challenges of his career and life. Untamed Romania by Tom Barton-Humphreys2018, documentary, 90 minutesWhenNov. 2, 2018 at 06:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2018 at 06:00 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown Synopsis"Untamed Romania" explores "one of the wildest and most beautiful parts of Europe", from the mysterious Danube Delta to the unknown Carpathian forests. Wolves, bears, and lynx roam the vast forests where almost all the original flora and fauna still exist left untouched since time immemorial. There is no other location of comparable size with such pristine nature in Europe. This unique documentary is narrated by award-winning Romanian film and stage actor Victor Rebengiuc. The Miracle of Tekir by Ruxandra Zenide2015, Mystery/Drama, 90 minutesWhenNov. 2, 2018 at 06:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2018 at 06:00 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown SynopsisUnmarried Mara has mysteriously fallen pregnant. This poses a problem for her fellow residents of the small fishing village on the Danube delta, where Europe's second longest river enters the Black Sea, and religion mixes with superstition like earth with water. Expelled from her village, Mara finds employment at the nearby spa hotel Tekir where infertile women are treated with the sacred Danube mud. When her world collides with that of the well-to-do, eccentric cosmopolitan Lili, magic combines with power and tradition with modernity to become the answer to Lili's desire to have children – and Mara's "immaculate" conception. The Treasure by Corneliu Porumboiu2015, comedy, 89 minutesWhenNov. 2, 2018 at 06:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2018 at 06:00 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown SynopsisCosti leads a peaceful life. At night he likes to read stories to his 6-year-old son to help him sleep. Their favorite is Robin Hood, and Costi sees himself as a similar hero - righter of wrongs and defender of the oppressed. One evening, his neighbor Negoescu pays him an unexpected visit and shares a secret. He suspects that his great-grandfather buried a treasure in his garden at the time of the Communist takeover in the 1940s. If Costi hires a metal detector to help locate the treasure, he will give him half of whatever they get. The two accomplices have one weekend to locate the loot and many obstacles in their path. With each layer of soil they unearth, memories of the past and entire chapters of Romanian history come to light. Porumboiu’s film adds intricate touches of the uncanny to everyday life, prompting us to question what unfathomable treasure we are hunting ourselves. Winner of A Certain Regard the 2015 International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Prize at Cannes. One Step behind the Seraphim by Daniel Sandu2017, drama, 150 minutesWhenNov. 2, 2018 at 06:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2018 at 06:00 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown SynopsisThe feature tells the story of Gabriel (Stefan Iancu), a teenager who wants to be a priest and has been recently admitted to a theological seminary. Trying to fit in first, he is fast to discover a world of fear and abuse. Lying, cheating and betraying are things the freshmen have to master in order to survive their seniors’ constant bullying and the game of power and manipulation fed by a tough teacher (remarkably played by Vlad Ivanov). This caustic coming of age movie calls to mind boarding-school-set movies where oppression and brutality are widespread. After having taken 10 years to film, "One Step behind the Seraphim" swept Romania’s Gopo Awards in 2018. It won 8 statuettes, including the most important trophies: Best Film, Best Film Director, Best Script, Best Debut Feature, Best Leading Actor, Best Picture and Young Hope, together with the Award of the Romanian Society of Cinematographers. It also received the Audience Award at Transylvania Film Festival. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with special guest Daniel Sandu. There by Bogdan Darev2018, documentary, 90 minutesWhenNov. 2, 2018 at 06:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2018 at 06:00 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown Synopsis In 1995, Seattle-based director and storyteller Bogdan was a teenager. He is now forty-one. After 23 years as an immigrant in the US, Bogdan comes back to Bulgaria for the first time. Who will he meet and where will his memories take him? Is his feeling truth, or is it just nostalgia? This screening will be followed by a Q&A with special guest Bogdan. Miss Christina by Alexandru Mafte2013, Mystery/Gothic Horror, 101 minutesWhenNov. 2, 2018 at 06:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2018 at 06:00 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown Synopsis"Miss Christina" is the dramatization of a 1936 novella written by the famous Romanian author and historian of religions, Mircea Eliade. Considered the first Romanian title of the Gothic genre, the film brings its distinct supernatural touch, being deeply rooted in East-European folklore and pagan mythology. It tells the love story between a human and the vampire-like character of a gorgeous young woman who died a violent death in the bloody peasant revolts in Romania in 1907. Known in Romanian as a moroior a strigoi, Miss Christina comes back from the grave to seduce her niece's fiancé, Egor (played by Tudor Istodor), during his first visit to the countryside family mansion. The lady of the house (played by Maia Morgenstern) worships her dead sister’s memory, even to the detriment of her own daughter's sanity and safety. When Egor realizes that his fiancée's life is endangered by his unexplainable lust for Miss Christina, he decides to fight the moroi. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with special guest Maia Morgenstern. Planeta Petrila by Andrei Dăscălescu2016, documentary, 80 minutesWhenNov. 2, 2018 at 06:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2018 at 06:00 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown SynopsisAs miners in the Romanian town of Petrila go down the mine for the last time, artist and ex-miner Ion Barbu is working on his mission: preserving Petrila's coal mine as cultural heritage. But in accordance with EU agreements on the closure of the mine, the authorities are committed to demolishing it completely. This would bring an abrupt end to a history with which the mining community still feels a deep affinity, but one that doesn't appear to interest the politicians in the slightest. Barbu refuses to back down, doing all he can to keep the memories of the mine and the identity of his hometown alive. He covers the mine buildings in murals and organizes performances, street protests, an underground theatre festival and a clandestine film. His resolve is a match for that of his opponents, and his art, which samples freely from art history, is charged with an absurdism well suited to the situation. Nonetheless, his actions prove to be more than just a frivolous protest; they become a channel for the collective mourning of a redundant industry. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with special guest Andrei Dăscălescu. D_love by Elena Beuca2018, comedy/drama, 96 minutesWhenNov. 2, 2018 at 06:00 PM - 04 Nov. 2018 at 06:00 PM WhereSIFF Cinema Uptown SynopsisA couple with longstanding marital issues lands at LAX after a getaway in Europe. For a few years now, Stefania has been working a job she detests and Dan hasn't worked at all. Their palpable strain is only made worse when a Danish vagabond asks for a ride to the busiest freeway in Los Angeles. Stefania doesn’t want to have anything to do with the hippie looking wanderer, but her husband Dan, much to his wife's horror, offers to bring this total stranger to their home. How will their encounter with this uncanny character affect their marriage? The director invites you on a 3 day journey, seen through Stefania’s eyes, to view and discover that desired change doesn’t always come in the package that we want or expect. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with special guest Elena Beuca. Guests
Maia MorgensternLegendary Maia Morgenstern has often been described as the "symbol of Romanian theater and film" (Florin Mitu, AMOS News). Born in a Jewish family in Bucharest, she studied at the Film and Theatre Academy and went on to become a member of the repertory companies of three prominent Romanian theater organizations — the Piatra Neamț National Theatre (1985 – 1988), the State Jewish Theatre (1988 – present) and the National Theatre (1990 – present). She made her film debut in 1983 with Too Hot for May/ Prea cald pentru luna mai. Since then she has appeared in dozens of Romanian feature films, as well as several international productions, including the English-language Nostradamus (1994), starring F. Murray Abraham and Tchéky Karyo; the Hungarian-language Siódmy pokój (1995) , the English/Greek language Ulysses’ Gaze (1995), in which she co-starred with Harvey Keitel, and the French language feature Marie, Nonna, la vierge et moi (2000). Morgenstern also took on a role in the USA Network TV movie Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula (2000). She is probably best known for the role of Mary, mother of Jesus, in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ(2004). She performed her role in Aramaic, but unlike the other actors in the cast of the film, she simply memorized her lines phonetically. In Romania, she has been nationally known since her 1992 role as Nela in Lucian Pintilie’s Balanța/ The Oak, set during the waning days of Communist Romania.

Daniel SanduI was born in Piatra-Neamț, in 1977. I've always loved watching movies. During communism, thanks to my parents, I saw many American movies on videotapes. In high school, I thought I wanted to become a priest, so I entered the theological seminary. There I discovered that I actually wanted to work in the world of film. I studied film at Media University. After I got my license, I worked in television as a screenwriter and director of sitcoms. In 2009, due to the economic crisis, the sitcoms abruptly ceased to be produced. In fact, all TV features stopped. So I started making short films, with the little money I had. My friends also helped me out. I started getting a few awards at film festivals which gave me more courage to work on my first feature film - One Step Behind the Seraphim (2017). It took me about 10 years to finish, from the moment I had a deal with the producer, until the day the film was released. In the meantime, among other things, I had written the script of my new film – The Father Who Moves Mountains - a film that I made in about 6 years, produced by Cristian Mungiu (Mobra Films). During this time, I worked on my other future projects.

Andrei DăscălescuAndrei Dăscălescu is an established Romanian documentary film director, cinematographer and editor. His first two feature documentaries, Planet Petrila (2016) and Constantin and Elena (2008) have won prestigious awards (including awards at IDFA and Sarajevo Film Festival), have been selected in major international film festivals across the world (IDFA, San Francisco, Vancouver, Krakow, DocLisboa, Docaviv, Sarajevo, Montpellier etc.). Andrei was nominated 4 times and won "Best Documentary Award" in 2018 at the Gopo Awards (the Romanian equivalent to Academy Awards) with his documentary, Planet Petrila. His third documentary, Holy Father (2020) premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award. It also won the Audience Award at Astra Film Festival (Sibiu, Romania), the Best Director Award at Qara Film Festival (Almaty, Kazakhstan) and has been screened at festival such as Black Nights Tallinn, Magnificent 7 Belgrade, Go East Wiesbaden, Trieste Film Festival, Zagreb Dox and others). He is the founder and owner of FilmLab production company since 2007.

Elena BeucaElena Beuca grew up in a small farm town in Transylvania, Romania. After graduating from Law School in Bucharest and working in real estate for a few years, she became interested in the entertainment industry and decided to move to Hollywood. Elena studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She studied with Ivanna Chubuck, the famous acting coach for Charlize Theron, Halle Berry, Brad Pitt. She has appeared in the HBO comedy series "Enlightened", the Fox Network action drama "Gang Related" and Nickelodeon's "Victorious". Elena has always loved a good challenge, so when a friend introduced her to the 168-film festival (making a short film in a week ) she decided to jump in and direct her first short film. She loved it so much, that she decided to do it again and again and again.. D-love is her first feature film. She is currently working on another feature film that will be shot in the fall in South Carolina.

Vivian HuaVivian Hua (華婷婷) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer who is fascinated by synthesizing divergent schools of thought. She is the Executive Director at Northwest Film Forum, a co-founder of the civil rights film series, The Seventh Art Stand, and Editor-in-Chief of the socially-conscious long-form arts publication, REDEFINE. Much of her work unifies her interest in the metaphysical with her belief that art can positively transform the self and society.

Maryna AjajaProgrammer/selector since 1997 for SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival), a twenty-five day film festival of over 400 films, that includes features, documentaries, archival films, animation, experimental, short films, and film forums. Ajaja is a writer and a poet and specializes in films from Eastern/Central European, Russia, Baltics, Central asia, and Caucuses. Born in Hollywood, she makes her home in Seattle, Washington since 1969.

Daniel UrsacheDaniel Ursache is an illustrator, painter, print-maker and graphic designer. He was born in Romania, in Turnu Severin, a Romanian city on the northern bank of the Danube. He was raised in Constanta, ancient Greek and then Roman colony on the Black Sea coast, explored geology in Iasi, the former capital of the Moldavian kingdom and studied fine arts in Timisoara, briefly the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 2004 he got stranded on the island of Montreal, in the middle of St. Lawrence river and did his post-graduate studies there. He has exhibited his work in Canada, Romania, Poland, Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany and Italy.

Inauguration of the Romanian Center of Excellence ROACT (Romanian In Action)
2018-10-01
Location to be determined

Romanian Cultural Festival
2018-09-22 10:00 - 17:00 | Maryhill Museum of Art
Romanian Cultural Festival – September 22 @Maryhill Museum of Art from ARCS Project on Vimeo.
Romanian Cultural Festival
ARCS invites you to a unique event, dedicated to Romania’s centennial anniversary, celebrating the Great Union of 1918, when the province of Transylvania joined Bessarabia and Bukovina to form the Romanian Kingdom. Romanians from Washington and Oregon States will commemorate key historical events that reshaped Romanian identity, focusing on Queen Marie’s contribution to the outcome of World War I and the ensuing period of unequalled cultural effervescence in the region. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore Romanian identity through space and time, connecting two historical periods: the present and The Interbellum (inter-war) years, associated with the birth of the modern state of Romania.
Visitors will enjoy an all day feast of events, such as the exhibition Romanian Identity, Royalty and Architecture and two book launches: the bilingual English/Romanian photo album, “The Queen and the Front” (2018) coordinated by Beatrice Todireanu and Anca Mizumschi’s essay collection “My Suspended Land” (2018). Folk dance and music performances by local groups and the Romanian Folkloric Ensemble Datina from Seattle, with sample traditional Romanian fare and hands-on art for children will be offered as well.
More details: https://www.maryhillmuseum.org
Sponsors and Partners:
Maryhill Museum of Art
American Romanian Cultural Society
The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York
The Romanian Folkloric Ensemble Datina from Seattle
The Northwest Romanian Community
The Romanian American Society
Cultural Romania Association

Evaluation Day "Româna la Liceu"
2018-09-15 - 2018-10-01 | University of Washington, 1410 NE Campus Pkwy, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
The exact location will be anounced at a later date.

Documentary screening and celebration
2018-08-05 14:00 - 16:00 | St. John the Baptist Romanian Orthodox Church, 3749 W Behrend Dr, Glendale, AZ, 85308, United States
You are warmly invited to the final screening of the documentary “Romanian in Seattle”, filmed during ARCS Summer Camp (July 23-Aug 4) with director Iulia Rugină and actress Ioana Flora.

Club Piticot
2018-06-02 | Redmond Library, 15990 NE 85th St, Redmond, WA, 98052, United States
Free Kids ages 3-13 Let’s get together to celebrate International Children’s Day! Event in Romanian.

Romanian Films at SIFF 2018, sponsored by ARCS
2018-05-03 - 2018-06-10 | SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109
Thank you all for attending!

Ciprian Popescu - Meet the Author
2017-12-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Bellevue Library, 1111 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA, 98004, United States
Ciprian Popescu, Romanian-language author based in Montreal, will read from his awarded debut Mile End (2016, Max Blecher Publishing House Romania). The book is a construction of 77 days about the new life as immigrant in Canada and the memory of the motherland. A previous text, Revolutia din departare/ The Revolution from Afar (2011, Curtea Veche, ed.C.Hermeziu), will also be discussed with former colleague in Romania and neighbor in Montreal, ARCS member Alexandra Dorca. The author will sign books following the talk. (Event is free In Romanian)

Romanian Film Festival - 4th Edition
2017-11-27 | SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109
The Romanian Film Festival in Seattle "One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying: Tales from Afar", 4th EditionWe are thrilled to present our special guests at the 4th edition of the Romanian Film Festival! Director Paul Negoescu (Two Lottery Tickets, director Iulia Rugina (Breaking News), actress Ioana Flora (Breaking News & Back Home) from Romania; director Bogdan Darev (This Baba), singer Penka Encheva and producer Mary Sherhart from Seattle, will attend Q&A sessions after the screenings, moderated by film critic and author Monica Filimon ("Cristi Puiu", University of Illinois Press 2017). Pre-Event: Cântece de departe/Songs from Afar, a concert that brings together Lucian Ban & Elevation Quartet from New York (jazz), Angela Drăghicescu (chamber music pianist from Seattle), and Gavril Țărmure (singer of Romanian Folk music from Bistrița) @ Seattle Art Museum on November 10, 7:30 PM. FilmsTwo Lottery Tickets by Paul Negoescu2016, Comedy, 86 minutes
Three men from a provincial town are in urgent need of money and decide to buy a lottery ticket. They win the lottery, but soon after their ticket gets stolen.Q&A...
Three men from a provincial town are in urgent need of money and decide to buy a lottery ticket. They win the lottery, but soon after their ticket gets stolen. Q&A with director Paul Negoescu
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Sieranevadaby Cristi Puiu2016, Drama, 173 minutes
A doctor and his wife are having a family meal in Bucharest to mark the passing of his father when an argument about 9/11 breaks out and deteriorates into a...
A doctor and his wife are having a family meal in Bucharest to mark the passing of his father when an argument about 9/11 breaks out and deteriorates into a settling of personal scores.
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Breaking Newsby Iulia Rugină2017, Drama, 81 minutes
While working on an in memoriam piece for a dead colleague, a famous news reporter loses track of the TV story and becomes part of a father-daughter relationship with the...
While working on an in memoriam piece for a dead colleague, a famous news reporter loses track of the TV story and becomes part of a father-daughter relationship with the teenager left behind. Q&A with director Iulia Rugină and actress Ioana Flora
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Scarred Heartsby Radu Jude2016, Drama, 141 minutes
Emanuel spends his days at a sanatorium. Falling in love with another patient, he narrates his and his fellow patients' attempts to live life to the fullest as their bodies...
Emanuel spends his days at a sanatorium. Falling in love with another patient, he narrates his and his fellow patients' attempts to live life to the fullest as their bodies slowly fade away, but their minds refuse to give up.
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Back Homeby Andrei Kohn2015, Drama, 91 minutes
Robert is a young journalist passing through a difficult period in his life. He returns to his native village for a day. One day to meet with his father, with...
Robert is a young journalist passing through a difficult period in his life. He returns to his native village for a day. One day to meet with his father, with whom he has had a difficult relationship, and with two former classmates: Petrică - his old best friend, now married with children - and Paula, his teenage sweetheart. The time has come for Robert to change his destiny. Q&A with actress Ioana Flora
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This Bababy Bogdan Darev2014, Documentary, 31 minutes This Baba is the story of Bulgarian Voices singer Penka Encheva, who was an extraordinary traditional singer as a young woman in her native country of Bulgaria. The Rest is Silenceby Nae Caranfil2007, Drama, 114 minutes
In 1911-12, the Romanian movie director Grigore Brezianu and the financial tycoon Leon Popescu made together the 2 hours long movie "Romania's Independence" - an as faithful as possible screen...
In 1911-12, the Romanian movie director Grigore Brezianu and the financial tycoon Leon Popescu made together the 2 hours long movie "Romania's Independence" - an as faithful as possible screen adaptation of the real Independence War that had been fought in 1877. Now, "Restul e tăcere" tells us, in a loose and half-fictionalized way, the story of this movie making.
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The New Gypsy Kingsby Liviu Tipuriță2016, Documentary, 59 minutes A look inside the world of Romania's super-rich Gypsy pop stars: a world of fast cars, lavish houses, and gangsters. GuestsPaul NegoescuBorn in 1984, Paul Negoescu studied film directing at the national film school in Bucharest. His short films were selected in many international festivals (Semaine de la Critique, Berlinale). His debut film, "A month in Thailand", premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2012, while his second feature, "Two Lottery Tickets", became one of the most successful Romanian films at the box office. "The Story of a Summer Lover", his 3rd feature, was distributed by Netflix in over 30 territories. Iulia RuginăIulia Rugină is a Bucharest based director and screenwriter. She has a BA and a MA degree in film and television directing at Bucharest’s National University of Theatre and Film (UNATC). In 2020 she completed a PhD on low budget cinema at the same university.

She has written and directed twelve shorts and three feature films, among which Stuck on Christmas (2010), Love Building (2013), Dying from a Wound of Love (2014), Breaking News (2016). In 2018 she made her theater debut with the multimedia show Neverland, which she wrote and directed. In 2020 she directed six of the eight episodes of the HBO Max series Ruxx.

Since 2099 she is also actively involved in cultural management (through Control N, the cultural NGO she has co-founded), and film education (through various projects she has participated in, as a film tutor), having worked with professional screenwriters, amateur filmmakers, children, ethnic minorities, inmates and drug addicts.

She taught screenwriting at the National University of Theater and Film in Bucharest for 10 years, before switching to script consultancy in national and international projects.

Ioana FloraOne of the most appreciated Romanian actresses, appearing in films, television, on stage, also having been awarded for many roles. Being a mother of two, Ioana has been actively involved in children’s performances, personal development workshops for both children and adults and training programs in film and theatre. Person not found Mary SherhartMary Sherhart is a Seattle-based musician who specializes in traditional singing from the Balkans. She is a performer, teacher, choir director, producer, board member and student.

Book Signing and Romanian Film Event - Cristi Puiu by Monica Filimon
2017-11-16 | University of Washington, 1410 NE Campus Pkwy, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
New York-based film critic and professor Monica Filimon will sign copies of her new book Cristi Puiu (University of Illinois Press 2017) and deliver a talk about the beginnings of New Romanian cinema with a specific focus on the black comedy The Death of Mr. Lazarescu. In Cristi Puiu, Filimon explores the works of an artist dedicated to truth not as an abstract concept, but as the ephemeral revelation of the fuller ungraspable world beyond the screen. (Event in English) Monica FilimonMonica Filimon was awarded a PhD in Comparative Literature by Rutgers University. She is Associate Professor of English at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY. She has published articles on French, German, and Romanian films. Her research focuses on the New Romanian Cinema, its sources, evolution, and major representatives. Her first book Cristi Puiu: Ineffable Experiences of the Profane World was published by the University of Illinois Press in February 2017. She is currently working on a second book tentatively titled Corneliu Porumboiu: Notes on the Absurd.

Lucian Ban & Elevation: Songs From Afar
2017-11-10 | Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave, Kirkland, 98033, United States
“Songs from Afar”(in collaboration with Earshot Jazz), a unique concert that will bring together 12 musicians from Romania, New York, and Seattle, with rich and diverse musical backgrounds.
Celebrating the music of Romania this concert event is an amalgamation of Transylvanian folk with jazz and improvisation. Featuring Lucian Ban’s ELEVATION Quartet; master saxophonist Abraham Burton; Transylvanian singer Gavril Tărmure; and the Angela Drăghicescu Ensemble paying tribute to famed composer George Enescu with a new arrangement of the Romanian Rhapsody.
This event sets off the 4th Edition of the Romanian Film Festival: “One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying: TALES FROM AFAR”, celebrating the connection between cinema, music and the other arts.

Club Piticot Storytime
2017-10-14
Free Kids ages 3-13 Elizabeta Iliescu hosts storytime at the Bellevue Library for children ages 3-13. Club Piticot supports children and their families in developing communication skills in Romanian while also preserving cultural heritage. October features Halloween-themed games and stories including George Topârceanu’s “Ballad of a Tiny Cricket” and Adina Rosetti’s “Why do Witches Fly on a Broom and 10 Other Fantastic Questions.” Event in Romanian.

Special Exhibit: Romanian Identity, Royalty and Architecture
2017-09-27 10:00 - 2017-11-27 17:00
Free Opening Night Reception: Thursday, October 5, 5:30 PM
The exhibit “Romanian Identity, Royalty and Architecture” offers a chronological survey of Romanian architecture from 1870s to 1948 with a focus on the Royalties’ contribution to the modernization of the country and creation of a national style. The edifices built during the reign of Carol I present both a young country’s desire to become visible internationally and the dynasty founder’s ambition to update Romanian architecture to European traditions. It was at the beginning of the 20th century that the capital Bucharest was called “The Little Paris”, due to the French influence. After WWI, King Ferdinand and Queen Mary sponsored the implementation of the national style in their effort to put Romania on the map of the world. The exhibit identifies Queen Mary’s contribution to Romanian architecture landmarks, including her beloved Balchik Palace. The modern style developed during Carol II and continued by his son Michael round up the exhibit that is authored by three major architecture professors: Augustin Ioan, Marius Marcu Lapadat, and Ionel Stoicescu, in collaboration with CREART, Bucharest.
American Romanian Cultural Society is putting on this exhibit in collaboration with the UW Ellison Center for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies.
